Big Damn Table
by brandirandom21
Summary: 100 Themes, 100 stories tracing the lives of our favorite characters. Contains Gwevin, Bevin, Benulie and more. Romance, humor, angst...all of it :D Thanks for following me on such an amazing ride! R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: For MOA's sake, I don't own Ben 10. At all. Wish I could. But I don't. And that's why I'm gonna get a lawyer and sue them for ownership! Muhhahaaha! (pause) That…probably wouldn't work out wouldn't it? Hm…And the Big Damn Table's original owner is ikyrian. I don't own her idea. All credit goes to her and this was just for pure entertainment.

A/N: UGGGGGHHHHH! I can't believe it DX I get another idea and I'm working on three major stuff at the same time. I gotta major disorder…Well, I got the idea from this website: . The table has 100 themes (yes another one of these, I know). I just wanna get this over with. Read and review!

Big Damn Table

1. Beginnings

_Once upon a time…_

_There was a kingdom far, far away…_

Those two are pretty familiar aren't they? Even though my mom never really bothered to tell me those stupid, cheesy fairytales, she told me real stories. The ones that made me confident in myself as a kid, letting me know that I could do anything if I just set my mind to it.

That's another thing my mother always told me. I could do anything if I just set my mind to it. And I could. I can. No matter what brick walls life planted in front of me, I could smash them to bits and get on with my life. There were no tough obstacles. People that hear about my life say that I must've had a hard, tough life since I was a kid and all. But really, everything that happened before when I was a kid were nothing I couldn't handle. I had my big boy pants on. I could handle myself just fine.

When I was a little kid and had both parents, I had the greatest life. At least that's what my mom tells me, 'cause I can't remember a single damn thing that happened. My dad would rock me to sleep as a baby, singing me lullabies that he had back on his home planet Osmos. Whenever I had my tantrums, he would calm me down and teach me how to control my abilities. I was feed good food, had good clothes, lived in a stable home and had amazing parents that supported me as I grew up, even with my powers.

There's one thing I do remember though as a kid. It wasn't a happy little memory.

Then I was five and there was a whole new **beginning **that emerged. One night when Dad was on a mission, I was having a hard time going to bed. When there was a knock at the door, I got curious and went to see what it was, and what do you know. Some old guy dressed up in the same Plumbers outfit that Dad wore was at the door. Before launching myself in the room, I listened. The man said something with a sad look on his face. My mom's back was turned at the living room door and I couldn't hear anything she said. Then she nodded, closing the door. Then when she turned to me, she jumped. She had tears running down her face.

_Kevin? What are you doing up so late?_

I walked up to her, feeling a little sad too. _Momma, what's wrong?_

She shook her head and gave me a big smile. Though it was forced. As a kid, I didn't know what was going on, so I took it as a good sign. _Daddy won't be back for awhile ok? He's got a lot of busy stuff to do._ Then she gave me a big mom hug and sent me to my room. I kept asking her if she could tell me a story but she kept chanting over and over, _Not tonight sweetie, maybe another time. _Then she said it the next night, then the night after that. I grew over it and slept through the night, waiting for Dad to come back from his work and tell me about the crazy adventures he had.

But he never did.

I was seven when Mom brought Fachtna home. Yeah. Fachtna. It's some weird word meaning angry. Which in this case, was perfect for him. He looked stupid with his graying brown baldish hair and greasy face. He had a nasty smile when Mom laughed at a joke he told and he always kept grabbing her ass or staring at her chest. It wasn't fair. Mom was pretty and then this old, ugly, greasy fart comes along and tries to steal my mom from my dad. Dad wasn't home yet and I always thought when dad would come back, he'd beat the crap out of Fachtna.

Fachtna started my other new life as a kid. He'd always sneer at me, barking orders at me, telling me to grab him a beer. When I told him we didn't have any left, he'd hit me and mom didn't say anything because she would get hit too. I didn't care. I always told myself that Dad would protect me when he came back, and would make mom feel a whole lot better.

Then when I turned eight, right when I had my birthday breakfast, he drank my orange juice and belched out that he was going to marry my mom. Nothing pissed me off more as a kid than that. I lost control, flipping the table over and caused a power outage. Of course Fachtna was stupid and didn't see my powers, and said that I unplugged everything. He put me in my room and locked the door. Mom would unlock it when Fachtna was in the bathroom and snuck me a video game of Sumo Slammers and a slice of cake with a kiss on the cheek.

She got married to him and I felt even worse. Where was dad? Was he seeing any of this? I asked mom that and that's when she made the biggest lie that caused another beginning in my life. _Dad left you because he couldn't handle you anymore. He'd rather be somewhere else. _

Then my rage exploded. Literally. Everything went out, light bulbs blew up and glass shattered everywhere. Mom had to go to the hospital because she had so many shards of glass in her skin. Seeing what I did to her, I packed up my things and ran away.

I began to steal. Lie. Hang with kids that I found that were "freaks" like me. They were just as bad. Then after toughing up and growing a major backbone, I snuck onto a shuttle bus and went to New York City. That was when I tested myself. I showed off to any gang member that got in my way. I almost killed one guy, but in my defense he had a gun. I nearly died, he nearly died. An eye for an eye.

Then I met Ben, Gwen and Max Tennyson when I was eleven. They were new tourists making their way across the country. Though there was something I wanted immediately the instant I met Ben. The Omnitrix. I heard of it before and I always bragged that I'd find it and be the biggest bad ass in the universe.

Ben was easy to befriend. He was gulliable, trusting some random kid with the secrets of the Omnitrix. Gwen, his short-tempered cousin shrugged me off. She was a smart girl. Too smart. It kinda annoyed me. She kept nagging at him, trying to lure him away from me. Then when I got him alone, I got his powers, but in the worst way possible. I became a monster, going through changes like a werewolf. It was painful to go through, but afterwords, I felt so powerful. I felt in control, even though I had a major urge to rip Ben Tennyson's throat out.

After some bloody, intense battles with him, he threw me in the Null Void. That's a beginning that I can't even tell you, uncensored details or not. After the pain and suffering, I found out how to stop turning into that monster and began to absorb things. Metal and wood became a coat of armor on my skin. I still was powerful, no matter what I looked like.

I broke out of the Null Void and winded up back on Earth when I was thirteen. I began to find alien tech and traded it for cold hard cash. I was living an easy laugh, making a few false deals and running away from them like hell when they figured me out. When I was fifteen, I found an old, trashed '76 Camaro and gave it a good clean paint job. I got a few friends to help fix the parts and I added some sweet ass alien tech to it too. When I was sixteen and able to drive, I drove around in it, the only thing I really had to care for in my life.

During a deal with a group of guys, all of a sudden three people popped out of nowhere. An alien and two teens around my age. And they looked like they wanted to stop whatever I was doing. The guys I was trading with turned out to be aliens then I realized who one of the teens were. He was wearing something like a green watch, something I knew very well.

It was Ben Tennyson. And he kicked all of our asses. He got me knocked out and I woke up tied up with some energy cuffs. I couldn't get out of them and I knew I was trapped. Ben and the alien kept pressing me for questions and the girl that stood beside them was quiet, watching me. I felt her gaze, but I ignored it. Ignored them.

_Kevin. People could get hurt._ That one tentative touch on the shoulder was all that it took.

Don't get me wrong. Not trying to be sappy here, but it's true. Gwen Tennyson grew up. She was kinder to me even though I nearly strangled her and burned her into a crisp. She didn't seem to care. She was absolutely hot too. Long red hair, bright green eyes and amazing figure of a body. Then with a careful pull away she was gone.

I wanted to create a new beginning of my own. I wanted a new life just to start everything over, try and make things better. So I fought again, next to her side. Then after I figured things out with Gwen and Ben, I looked for Mom. She lived in the same house as before. I went over, knocked on her door and she instantly knew me. She broke down, crying and blubbering about how sorry she was. Dad was really dead after a battle and he loved me no matter what.

I forgave her. Besides, after all the shit I did, I should've been apologizing. I told her everything. Then she blubbered again, then I forgave her. It took her a week of me staying at her house to make her relax and know that I was alright. She was alright.

Then I had my new beginning. I'm still in the middle. I have a lot of crap going on, but hell, you know what? Every story has a conflict right? There's some crap that's in this world. We all know it. But hell, one thing is for sure.

This began all with my Dad and Mom. This is what all resulted from that.

And I couldn't have it any other way.

A/N: Yeyy first chapter IS done :D This is dedicated to my bestie Brooke that lives with me here in MD :D We're polar opposites. I'm a major Gwevin fan, she's a major Bevin fan. I'm partly French, she's partly British. And so forth :D I love youuuu :D Not as much as my boyfriend though…'cause that'd be a serious issue xD Hope you guys liked this and review! More the reviews more chance of a second chapter :D And Christmas in July's next chapter will come up soon…PROMISE!


	2. Middles

Disclaimer: I really don't own Ben 10. Seriously. MOA does.

A/N: Two reviews in one day :D Awesome! Glad this is (kinda) going somewhere :D Happy either way :) SO this is the second chapter. This is gonna be happier than the last one…I can assure you. This collection is going to be an assortment of genres…*sigh* Hoo boy…

Big Damn Table

2. Middles

Why me?

I was stuck always in the **middle **of the two, hearing the most uncommon arguments and the most confusing conversations. There was a wide variety of conversation that they exchanged. It was always different every time.

But let me remind you something. That was in the past. Back then.

Over the past couple months, they started bringing up the same things over and over, making me want to drive my head into a wall. They must've ran out of things to say. Yey me.

So today, I was hanging out with Kevin and Ben at Mr. Smoothy's, Ben disguised in an ID mask so he can keep his identity hiden from the public eyes. He was having his twelfth, some combination of marshmellow, orange and grape. I was sticking to the regular strawberry-banana and Kevin just settled on soda.

"Sumo Slammers is amazing!" Ben exclaimed, acting all serious like Sumo Slammers, some childish obsession he had ever since he was nine years old. "I saw the hour long special last night and oh. My. Freaking. God. It was amazing." He sighed contently, then slurped down his smoothie noisily.

I huffed. "You know what you sound like right now? You sound like my friend Veronica when she watches Jersey Shore. And believe me. That's a really, _really_ bad thing Ben."

"He needs some therapy for that Sumo Slammers show," Kevin said, rolling his eyes. "It's gotten serious."

Ben stuck his tongue out, the ID mask still capturing Ben's old ten year old self. "Well, you should hear yourself when you talk about your car. You talk about it like it's your lover or something." Then he scrunched up his face and drawled out a mock-Kevin. "' My baby is worth the price I pay. If I gotta pay a hundred million dollars for that pretty shine, I'll slap hundred million dollars down.'"

Kevin flushed, glaring at him. I fought a laugh. It was sad, the fact that Ben was right. He really did care for that car _way_ too much. He always brought it up and whenever I would see him, he'd be under his car, fixing the parts and covered in grease. "I do _not_ act like that."

"I don't know Kevin," I laughed, keeping my voice light. "It sounds like it to me."

He pouted a little. "I don't care about my car that much. Believe me." Then he smoothed his face. "If had to save either my car or you from total danger…it would be you."

I blushed. He would pick his car over me? That car was hard to rebuild after the Highbreed war. It took him months to rebuild. A lot of parts to recover, things to take care of and money to put in to it. He would pick me and risk all that?

Ben looked at us, uncertain and confused. Now he was in the middle of everything. Ha. Showed him. The tables turned and he was the one to deal with all the confusion.

I smirked to myself, then smoothed out my face. "Kevin…that's so sweet of you." Kevin looked up, smiling. Then we leaned in and kissed, and I almost laughed when Ben began to squeal.

"Ewwww! You two are so GROSS! I'm outta here!" Then at the corner of my eye, I saw Ben march off with his smoothie, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Kevin parted, giving me that knowing look. "You're so evil."

"Figured that I could turn the tables to him."

He rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I grinned. He didn't know either. Now I was stuck in the middle between two clueless boys.

Somehow, being in the middle didn't seem to be so bad now.

A/N: haha evil, evil Gwen xD Gwen blackmailing is something that I've always imagined :D One of my friends used this tactic when his boyfriend and his friend was talking about video games and she just gave her guy a big smack on the lips. Needless to say, we had a very confused pair of guys and a little inspiration! Here comes the next chapter….read and review! Next is "Ends"


	3. Ends

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA doessss…or Charlie the Unicorn. Don't ask. You'll see.

A/N: Depressing, depressing chapter….*sigh* Ends. Yikes. Angsty is NOT my style. So I'll try something else for ends…Hell, if it doesn't work, you can tell me that this was a total epic fail and I'll never attempt a chapter like this again :P Thanks for keeping up with this and being totally cool :D This girl is new to still so opinions are always open :) Just…don't put me up in flames. PLEASE.

Big Damn Table

3. Ends

Julie sat across from Ben, watching him chomp down on chili fries and drink his smoothie in one go. It kind of made her stomach churn and she wished that she could keep her eyes off the scene, but she couldn't. It was like watching a horror movie when there's that gruesome scene and you cover your eyes, but you still peak through your fingers to see what happened. It was pretty gross watching him eat the greasy food then adding the heavy and sickenly sweet mixture on top of that.

"How come guys can eat all that so quickly?" Julie asked once Ben scrapped up some cheese from the bottom with the last two fries.

Ben jammed the last of it in his mouth and spoke with a full mouth. "Grrs 'an do 'et oo."

"What?"

He swallowed and chugged it down with his smoothie. "Girls can do it too. You've seen hot dog eating contests."

"Not really."

"_What_?" He looked like Julie had two heads and said that she was really an alien. "Are you kidding? What person doesn't watch them? It's like…an American pastime!"

"Some people in this world aren't American Ben. And not all Americans watch that. It's just gross."

"How would you know if it's gross if you've never watched it?"

"I've heard things. Jamming three hot dogs down your throat within a minute and not expecting to throw up isn't exactly what I call a pastime."

Ben pouted. "You're no fun."

Julie rolled her eyes. "Terribly sorry." She looked down at her veggie burger and didn't feel so hungry now. The poor cows were tormented enough by Ben. She dipped down under the table and opened her purse. Ship napped inside, his purring echoing silently. She looked around. It was busy and loud in Burger Shack so no one really noticed. "Ship. Wake up Ship."

Ship perked up. "Ship?"

"Here lil' guy." She tossed him the burger and he snatched the barely eaten food in his mouth, gulping it down. He let out a happy beep and fell asleep again. Julie didn't know if human food was good for him, but Ship ate human food before and he was fine before.

"It sucks when there's no food left," Ben sighed.

"Buy some more then." Julie closed the purse again. "But I'm not watching again."

"No, no listen. I'm making analogy."

"Oh God Ben…"Julie muttered. "What is it Ben?"

Ben cleared his throat. "Well, look. Everything in life has its **ends** right? It's depressing to think about. Something was made for a purpose, but then it has to go. Like these chili fries." He waved to the empty basket lined with leftover meat and cheese covered paper. "I mean, those chili fries were made to make me happy. I have a full belly-"

"A fast food chain gets six dollars richer," Julie muttered sarcastically under her breath.

He frowned. "You're like a constant downer aren't ya?"

Julie rolled her eyes at the Charlie the Unicorn reference, then sighed. "What's the point of this again?"

"Well like I was saying before you interrupted, everything has a meaning but has to end. Like the chili fries I just ate. I'm happy, but what about them?"

"They're inanimate objects Ben. Inanimate objects covered in ground up cows, cheese from tortured cows and some potatoes."

"Now you're some vegetarian downer now huh?"

"I'm not vegetarian."

"Whatever. Anyway. So what should we do when something ends? What's point of that?"

Julie sighed heavily, but somewhere in her mind, there was something in that Ben rambling that made sense. "Well…I guess everything has its purpose, sure. But when we accomplish that purpose, what else do we do? Plants grow to clean our air and feed animals. Animals live to balance our lives and feed us. And people live to make the universe thrive. We breathe. We live. We try to figure things out. When we do, we feel great. Then we die. Our lives end, sure but…we did something worth while right? Our lives end with something figured out and new lives come around. When I think about it…" Julie froze a little, then breathed, "Things don't always end. That's it. Everything's a cycle. We learn and do something for others to learn and do something."

Ben had a plain expression on his face for a moment, then broke into a grin. "Finally! Chili fries actually taught us something."

Julie fought a smile. "I guess we did huh?"

"Yep. To celebrate this lil' occasion, I'll buy more chili fries!" Then he got up and skipped back to the counter.

Ben was just full of surprises, wasn't he?

A/N: Sigh. Tried to do two chapters in one night. NEVER. AGAIN. I feel drained…ha ha so was the chili fry life lesson good or an epic fail? You tell me! Review please and be honest…please please be honest.


	4. Insides

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10…'cause MOA does. Really. And it's not one man. It belongs to four men. Even though it's called MAN of Action. Why they did that I'll never know…

A/N: DAMMIT CARTOON NETWORK! Yes. 10.10.10. It's cute, but what the hell am I gonna be doing for the next couple weeks until school? *sigh* I guess repeats'll have to do. Plus it was hilarious watching "All That Glitters" with my step dad Paul xD His comments about Michael Morningstar made me really laugh. "He looks like a Ken doll…" "Why is he sparkling? Is he some sparkling vampire?…gay." He likes calling everything on Ben 10 gay…it's a little discriminating 'cause I have a few gay friends but…ANYWAY that's not the point. I'm glad to know the chili fries fail wasn't a complete fail. So here's the next one ^_^ "Insides." Well…let's see what I can do with this…

Big Damn Table

4. Insides

Why was it so damn hard?

Why couldn't I just say it?

_I really like you._

Why couldn't I ask it?

_Will you go out with me?_

Those words were tripping in my mind, making their way to the tip of my tongue. Then they got caught, never able to escape. All I could do was just stare, my mouth probably hanging open, looking like a total idiot. She stared back, impatience in her dark jade eyes with her arms crossed tight against her chest.

I muttered a few excuses, like how a guy always asked the girl and how she shouldn't push me. Then she smirked, mocked me and stormed off, her auburn hair wiping in the breeze like a slow burning fire. I can't really describe everything that I felt without sounding like a total sappy dork. It was…hard. She was absolutely hot, head to toe. She had a great smile and she always kicked ass. Under all that innocent, beautiful teenage girl skin was a fighter that spoke her mind.

I loved this girl.

But I couldn't. My body refused to spill those words. I was stuck.

Ben, Gwen and I went back into the car to look around for some Plumber's kids that we found on the Plumber's badge I took from the alien that was killed before. I regretted it, but that was buried under all the heavier, deeper regrets I have **inside**.

Then the fight to help people began. The bridge collapsed by a truck crashing into one of the supporters and we all sprung into action. Gwen helped people slide off onto safe ground. Ben held up the bridge as Humongasaur, trying to keep the crumbling bridge up. I pulled the guy out off his truck and then all I saw was Ben letting the bridge go and all the people on the ground, shaken and calling 911. Gwen and Ben went to some guy that was crouched to a girl. She was freaking out and the guy calmed her down. Ben introduced all of us and the guy said was Michael Morningstar (like Lucifer Morningstar? Please…).

He shook our hands and when he shook Gwen's hand, a spark connected their hands and they jumped back. I did.

_What the hell was that?_ I remember taking a step, then stopping when I saw the exchange between both of them.

_That's…never happened before._

Gwen looked up, a shy smile on her face. I saw her face flush a little and my stomach clenched. _Maybe it's because we both have powers?_

I have powers. I've touched Gwen's hand and that never happened. Michael had that little smug smirk on his face like he knew what I was thinking. _That's a theory._

After that happy little exchange, Michael said he would take us to his place after he took the girl Trina back to her house. Ben and Gwen eagerly accepted and I muttered a weak response. Then he flew off into the sky with a sparkly trail. Sparkly? Wait a minute…

Ignoring it, I got Ben and Gwen to the car and Gwen made a ramp down the destroyed bridge. The other victims were tended and distracted, so we passed by without an eye on us.

Later on Michael got us with our badge and I drove to the coordinates. It was a freaking mansion. _Damn. Sparkly, pretty boy's got some cash on him._ There was a smaller mansion behind it with a fountain in front of it. Michael met us at the front door and showed us in, closing the door in my face after Ben and Gwen walked in. _Douche bag's gonna get it…_

Michael showed off his fancy Plumber gear, which I do admit, were pretty damn wicked. Some of it was stuff I could never get my hands on, or anyone else for that matter. Which only pissed me off even more.

It reached its boiling point when Gwen stared at him like a love sick puppy, awe in her eyes. I kept my fists clenched at my side and my face as smooth as I could make it. Everything had to be kept inside. If I let my guard down, Mike'd see me completely defenseless and he'd corner me. Then Ben would see how weak I was and bother me about it, then Gwen…

I didn't want to think about it. Michael blabbed about some communicator channel, Ben and Gwen hooked on every word.

_Communicator channel? _

He looked at me, sending a sneer toward my way, his hand still holding Gwen's small wrist. _Yeah. You…did know that all badges are communicators, didn't you?_

There he goes, making me the idiot again. Then after a few minutes, there was a danger signal from a main power line. We all went down there, Michael in the back of the car with Gwen. Ben could've been humming show tunes, he was so happy. What was so good about this guy anyway?

After the battle and seeing Gwen almost lose it and Michael letting some psycho zombie girls go, I had about enough. I yelled at him and Ben cut in, saying stuff how like it was totally cool that we did what we did. Yeah, right. Then Gwen and Michael had a little exchange, Gwen swooning over him. I couldn't help but pour that anger out at her, and she made a comeback that cut me off.

_Why are you pretending to care?_ She linked her arm around his, walking away sending a short "later" at me before goggling at Mike. That was the final straw. I had to know how this guy was. Who he _really _was. He was hiding things away from us.

Call me hypocrite all you want, but that guy was keeping something inside. Something that he wanted to keep and be sneaky about. I went to Michael's house set on finding him out with Ben right on top of me, nagging about how I was jealous about how Gwen liked him more than she liked me. He was right. No matter how much I hate to admit that, he was totally right. I was jealous of him.

He had a spark from Gwen's hand once they touched.

She smiled up at him like he was her savior.

He could say yes to her so easily, a date suggestion rolling off his tongue simply.

I hated Michael Morningstar. Hated his looks, his money, his home, his power over everything. Especially Gwen.

I arrived at his house, trying to break in. Ben yelled at me, saying how I was acting like my old self. There was no old self. This was all me.

Then the Trina girl came up out of nowhere, asking to see Mike. Then I saw something that I noticed before. Marks on her arms small but noticeable. Stars surrounded by a black circle.

Star? Hello? Duh.

It was so easy now. Gwen's sleeves were rolled down longer than from before, no longer at her elbows, but her wrists. The way she looked at Michael Morningstar, like Trina did? It all came together.

Michael Morningstar was behind this the whole time.

I took Ben to where I found Michael's coordinates on the Plumber's badge and I found something in that building. Something that has been replaying in my mind over and over for the longest time.

In Michael Morningstar's glowing, golden arms was Gwen. Her smooth, pale skin was bleached and wrinkled and her eyes were sunken in, dark circles under her eyes. Her long red hair was now a silverish white, tossing around in Michael's powerful, bright aura. She was drained of energy limp in his arms while he stood glowing in his pride.

Rage coursed through me when he put her fragile body on the ground, a groan escaping her now chapped, thin lips. He threw a blast at us and we both blocked it. Ben turned into Jetray and he was knocked down. Michael floated above him.

_Gwen's mine now._

I threw myself at him, absorbed in rock. He knocked me around, dug my head in the ground and blasted at me. There was just so much pain and I was knocked off my feet. I couldn't get up. My body refused and I was forced to listen to him gloat about how Gwen brought him so much power and how he was so great.

Why was I so weak? Why couldn't I get up?

Everything began to blank and I could feel myself fade. I couldn't move anything in my body. It only could hurt more than I wanted it to. I kept cursing at myself. _Get up dammit! Get up and fight that god damn son of a bitch! Do it for Gwen! She's dying and you're not doing a god damn thing. _

_KEVIN!_

I snapped out of it and opened my eyes. Gwen rushed towards me, everything beautiful about her returned. She crouched by me and gently pushed me up. I could only offer a weak smile and she held onto my hand, her skin warm and soft. There was no static, but that didn't matter. All I needed was that feeling of her, alive, warm and well.

Whatever I tried to keep inside about Michael Morningstar kind of came out. So what. There was still things I still have inside. Things I need to keep inside.

If I want Gwen to stay alive, that was the best I could do. Everything inside had to be held in. Nothing could be revealed.

A/N: Ta-da! See what I did there? I watched "All that Glitters" and got some inspiration! Repeats do that to you. 8D *giddy* See what happens CN? YOU MAKE MY BRAIN FRY INTO LIL' CRISPIES! *sigh* God. Nothing else came up ;^; *pout* My brain's totally fried and I've been listening the same song over and over…it's totally related to the episode. "Shimmer" by Fuel. Pretty great song :D I recommend!

Please please review! It keeps things together…and maybe I'll put another chapter of CIJ and this soon :)


	5. Outsides

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA does :( Crapsack…

A/N: *sigh* I've been getting less reviews than I'd thought. But it's cool :D At least ppl are liking my stuff! And that's all that matters! So outsides…what to do, what to do…OH! Got it :D Julie's POV now D I did it before and it wasn't so bad so I'll give it another shot. And to answer your question Lioness002, I watch Ben 10 OnDemand. It's been cutting off repeats now and bringing back really really old ones D Pisses me off! Grrrr…so here we go! Outsides!

Big Damn Table

5. Outsides

I hate keeping everything crammed inside of me. I always want to say what I'm feeling or what I'm thinking. Keeping everything kind of sucks, you know? You want people to understand you and know what you're going through. If you keep everything inside, no one understands you and you're on your own. Plus, if you keep it inside, it'll get out eventually.

Which is why I'm more of an **outside **girl. I go both ways (and no not that way…). I say what's on my mind. People get me and understand me. Then I also love the outdoors. Not the way that I was talking about before, but like I said. I go both ways.

Being outside is great. I'm always feeling what life has to offer me. I feel a breeze that rustles my hair and cools me off. I feel comfortable warmth on my skin that makes me feel relaxed. The rain has that clean smell that mixes with the earth and grass. It makes me feel alive. Better that I'm here and appreciate what I have.

Now Ben…he's more of an inside guy. He likes to stay in his house and just watch Sumo Slammers or play video games. He doesn't really want to go outside, either complaining about the heat or how he was starting to get tired of people swarming around him like frantic bees whenever he walked outside.

So, today, I decided that enough was enough. I went to Kevin's place with Gwen and asked him for an ID mask. Kevin said yes, and that Ben could keep it. If Ben screwed it up in anyway, he could bring it to Kevin and he could fix it. Ben would have to pay up for repairs though. Ever since Kevin quit his black market appearances, he was forced to get money from his part-time job at the auto shop.

I went to Ben's house. It was a nice enough day, around 70° and there was a nice breeze. I was dressed up in my pink hoodie and some gym shorts, getting comfortable. I was going to take Ben to the park for a little study date. Ben was slowing down in science, almost at a 72. He needed some help and be outdoors. Be in a quiet enviorment and relax.

Ben opened the door, holding a bag of Cool Ranch Doritios with a frown on his face. Then he grinned. "Oh, hey Julie. Thought you were some guys who wanted me to do an interview. I've had like, four magazines coming over to my house."

I held up the ID mask. "This is for you."

"Uh…what for exactly?"

I grinned. "You're going to the park with me for a study date."

"I…am?" He scratched his head. "I don't remember anything about that being planned…"

"Well, you better get ready. Put that on and grab your science stuff up. Meet me at the park in an hour." Before he could get a word in, I jumped onto my moped and drove off. I smiled to myself. Ben was going to like this. No matter how much he was going to complain.

-An Hour Later-

I laid on the grass under the trees, laying on a white picnic blanket next to a cooler. I picked a part of the park that was more secluded and not as loud. This was a great day and a lot of people caught on. A nice Saturday made a lot of people crawl out of their houses…except for Ben. He was always an exception.

There was a sound of the padding of feet on the ground. I looked over my shoulder.

He had Ben's face. He didn't have that untidy russet hair and dark green eyes though. He had short dirty blonde hair and gray eyes. He wore a red shirt and gray pants, carrying a notebook and a textbook. No Ultimatrix on his wrist. But I knew it was still Ben.

"Ben?"

He nodded, laying next to me. "Yeah." He still had his voice. "So, I can keep this? For as long as I want?"

"Uh-huh. Kevin said you have to pay for repairs though."

"Damn. He doesn't let me take anything for free, does he?" He sighed. "Still. It's awesome. The ID mask covered me pretty well." He rubbed his arm, the one that usually carried the Ultimatrix. "I feel so…naked without it."

"You'll get used to it Ben." I opened my textbook. "So. We came for a reason."

"Yeah, yeah…I know. Science. I suck at it."

"No, you don't suck at it. You've just been haven't been putting in much effort. Not to be mean or anything, you've been majorly slacking off."

He pouted. "Thanks for putting it lightly."

I smiled. "Hey, if you change things a bit, you won't have to deal with any crap with me."

"True."

Like a good student, Ben did what he was told. He read through sections and answered questions perfectly. I asked him if he wanted something to eat or drink, he shook his head and said that he was fine for a few more questions. Whenever I studied with him at his house or mine, he was always distracted and had a major urge to snack on something. I was glad to know that the outside world did do some good for Ben. He was relaxed, but still focused on his studies. He got all the answers right and once we were done with a chapter, I told him we should take a break. He agreed and we drank some soda and snacked on some chips and some fruit salad that I made before.

"You know," Ben said through a bite of watermelon. "This was a pretty good idea."

"You think so?" I knew so. "So you don't mind doing this again?"

He grinned, still having his same smile. "Are you kidding? Yeah I would."

I smiled. "So. You want to practice for the test tomorrow?"

His eyes widened, his mouth hanging on its hinges. "Tomorrow! Shitake mushrooms! What am I doin'?" He grabbed his textbook, put his fruit salad on the cooler. "We gotta get to studying! Julie, what chapter is that test on?"

OK. So the outside world didn't totally relax him…I smiled. "Chapter 5 Section 2. You're a little rough with reverse osmosis, but that can easily be arranged. Look, ok…"

A/N: YAWN! So tired. I've been at Kohl's today with my family. It was no tax day on clothes and my mom had a bunch of cash back coupons. Plus there were 60%-80% clearance racks…Yeah. You know where I'm going with this :P We were in there from 1 to 7:30 something. We ate some cake and ice cream (Birthday's this Saturday xD) and I jumped in the shower. So I did this pretty quick and HOPING that you readers review! Please review. It makes me happy! Plus I need suggestions for the next one. Hours. Here's a question for you…who's POV should it be in? Ben, Kevin, Gwen, Devin or Julie's? Thank you for reading again and REVIEW! Please…


	6. Hours

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA does.

A/N: Sigh. Where is everyone? AND WHO IS THIS MYSTERIOUS NO NAME PERSON? Haha thanks for the reviews and appreciate the suggestion. I think that's not a bad idea at all :D As a matter a fact, I think I'll use it for this chapter :) A little inspiration from yesterday…"Hours" is now here :D Kevin's mom's POV. Her name will be Olivia for this! (I don't know why I like her named Olivia…it's just a good name T.T)

Big Damn Table

6. Hours

:Olivia's POV:

Dragging Kevin all the way to the mall wasn't fun at all. I knew him. He was a young man that didn't really like going shopping for endless **hours** and looking at clothes. He loved to work on his car and experiment with different alien technology, seeing how it works and how he could use it in a fight. I asked him if he wanted to come and he said no. So I didn't take him with me. Before I left the house, he gave me a thin disk, the size of my palm. It was smooth and sleek.

"What's this?" I asked him.

"It's alien tech." He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. "Um…It's automated to danger. You keep it in your pocket or purse and it detects your blood pressure and your pulse. It reacts to your emotions. So if something comes up…" He trailed off in embarrassment, his cheeks reddening. "Just call me if trouble comes up. Ben, Gwen and I can handle it."

I smiled. Kevin was a nice young man. He resembled Devin so much. It hurt a little, but I knew that Devin was still with me, inside of Kevin. "Thank you sweetie." I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Do you need anything?"

He shook his head. "Nah. If I'd need anything, I can just pick it up myself. I'm fine ma. You just have fun at the mall."

"Thanks. I'll call you and let you know when I get there." Giving him one last kiss on the head, I went to my car, started it and drove off.

This was the third day of tax free apparel. I knew it would busy on the first day and even the last day. So I had decided to go in the middle of the week when it was less busy.

Once I was there, I parked in the front of the JCPenny's and called Kevin. "I'm here sweetie. Are you sure you don't need anything?"

Kevin sighed heavily and I laughed. "Like I said ma. I'm fine. Just go have fun and buy some stuff. You've been working to the bone. You need to have some fun."

"You're right. Love you Kevin."

"Love you too ma. Bye."

"Buh-bye." Once I hung up I was inside. It wasn't a busy day. There were only ten people that I counted once I walked in. I walked past the clothing and walked straight into the perfumes. I was overwhelmed by the scents crossing between sweet and spicy, with musky and clean. I looked around for the Euphoria, a scent that I found a sample of in Elle magazine. It had the scents of pomergrante, black violet, lotus blossom, persimmon, black orchid and mahogany wood. I bought a small bottle of it and walked toward the center of the mall. It wasn't busy, but there was a lot of shouting from children and chatter from all around.

I looked around and head toward Bebe, a smile on my face. I had a lot of money on me and I have been admiring the clothing for awhile. I had the figure for the clothes (not that I'm bragging or anything). So why not?

:Gwen's POV:

"Oh. My. God. This top is like, amazing."

I rolled my eyes. I was with my friends at my school. Amber and Jeanne were the stereotypical prep school girls. They were a bit snooty and the liked to add "like" to each sentence they said. They had a lot of cash on them from having rich parents and had amazing clothes and accessories from designers. They were still my friends though. Nothing else really mattered.

Amber gawked at a cream colored tunic that had ruffles at the bottom. "Wouldn't this look, like, _so_ hot on me?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jeanne nodded, her long brown hair whipping up and down. "Totally. But, like, how much is it?"

"It's 69 bucks. 69…" Then she gave a little giggle. "I can totally handle it."

"Hup, that's what she said!"

Then they bursted into a spastic giggling fit that caused heads to turn. I looked down, trying to look unnoticed. I slipped away to the clearance rack, flipping through things.

I had been saving up money for my allowance for the longest time. I was so paranoid about college tuiton, trying to look for jobs. Then when I learned that the Plumbers paid for everything in my education, I felt a whole lot better. I hadn't bought many things, so I was ready for this day. I still was trying to save money though. I had coupons on me for twenty or thirty percent off anything.

"Hey, Gwen, we're gonna try this stuff, 'kay?" Amber said, waving armfuls of pants and tops.

"Go ahead. I'll be here." I flipped through the items, my lips pursed. A lot of the items were larges and extra larges. Then they were mostly tank tops that were still $20. Sighing, seeing that the clearance rack was hopeless, I looked around some more. Then I found something pretty cute.

It was a one-shouldered, blue top. It had a gorgeous beading pattern that ran across the strap, and a zipper at the back. It looked beautiful, but the problem?

89.00.

I didn't care it was no tax day. No way I would be spending that much money.

I frowned. It did look stunning and I had the money for it but still…

"Oh, that's a nice looking top."

I looked up at the stranger next to me. She had long black hair that stopped at the middle of her back and warm brown eyes. She looked young, around her twenties. She was smiling at me so nicely that I couldn't help but smile back.

"Are you going to try that one on?"

My heart sunk at the mention. "No…not really. It's too expensive."

"Oh? How much."

"Almost ninety." I held up the tag. "I have the money for it but I still want to save, you know?"

She nodded, understanding. "Mm-hm."

Amber and Jeanne came back out holding clothes that they wanted to keep. Amber gushed once she saw the top and rushed towards me. "Can I see?"

I handed it to her. She blabbered about how great it looked along with Jeanne, then snapped her head up. "Let's try this baby on shall we?"

"No, I'm not getting it."

"You don't like it?" Jeanne asked, eyes wide.

"I do, I just-"

Amber rolled her eyes. "I've got money girl. I can chip in. You pay half, I pay half."

I frowned. She did this whenever I would find something cute and when it was too expensive.

"Excuse me, what do you think?" Jeanne chirped, looking at the lady next to me. I glared at her, both in anger and horror, but the lady smiled.

"I think that sounds like a good idea. Why not?" She grinned at me again, and I froze. I knew that grin. I'd seen it time and time again. The one that I could never surrender to, the one that melted my heart and I couldn't say no too.

"You're…Kevin's mom aren't you?"

"And you must be Gwen." She held out her hand and I took it. She had a firm, yet soft grip. "I've heard so much about you, so when I saw you, I figured that you must be the one that Kevin's been talking about. You are a very beautiful girl. He wasn't kidding."

I blushed, looking down. Amber and Jeanne snatched up the opportunity to snoop.

"Kevin? Wait, Gwen, you gotta boyfriend? Who?" Amber asked, her voice sugary and sweet. I cringed. She really wanted the scoop and maybe even blab it around the school. Then I paused.

Uh, hello? News flash. Yes, Kevin Levin had a bad reputation in Bellwood. Everyone knew him. Girls swooned over his bad-boy rep and the guys scoffed, saying how he wasn't the toughest guy around. I've known him longer than anyone else though. He was my boyfriend. I loved him, no matter what he's done before. So anything anyone says about him, I didn't really care.

"Kevin Levin."

Amber and Jeanne sucked in a large gasp and let it all out. "Oh. My. God. Kevin Levin? The bad boy?" Jeanne cooed, grinning ear to ear.

"Dang girl, you got yourself one hot man."

Kevin's mom laughed behind me, making me jump. "Kevin does have that sort of reputation, doesn't he?"

"Yeah…" I trailed off, looking down at the top. "So, anyone want to see me try this on?"

"Me!"

"Oh, oh, me too, me too!"

Kevin's mom smiled at me again. "I would like to see it too. It looks like a good outfit to wear to a date."

I blushed at that and was pushed by Amber and Jeanne to the dressing room, Kevin's mom tagging along.

-2 Hours Later-

Amazingly, the top was perfect. It fit gracefully around me and my red hair brought out the blue color. Amber immediately ran to the register and bought it herself, before I could even get a word in. She said I was in charge of finding some accessories and the bottoms to match. I was fine with that now.

Kevin's mom went with us and Amber and Jeanne were cool with her. His mom was surprisingly younger than expected. She liked to shop at Aeropostale and Charlotte Russe. Then when we past by Victoria's Secret, Amber joked about how Kevin's mom needed to show Gwen what she approved of. I nearly punched her in the face, but Kevin's mom laughed like it was no big deal. I began to laugh with her too. She had a very relaxed sense of humor, unlike my mom who would start screaming at Amber for saying that.

We all took a break at the food court, snaking on pretzels. Kevin's mom told her about herself. She worked at the Verizon center as an assistant for the manager. She checked profits, took calls from complaining customers and did what the manager wanted. She said that he was a pain in the ass, but she was paid good money and that was all that mattered.

Once we started getting tired and our feet throbbed, we crashed at the water fountain. I looked up at the glass ceiling. The sun was setting. "We've been here for at least six hours," I muttered.

"New record," Jeanne grinned, holding her thumbs up.

"Six hours…my, my. You girls have been here longer than I have. So. I'd say that we spent some cash girls don't you think?" Kevin's mom asked. We all laughed in agreement. "Well, I say that we get back home then. See you girls soon?"

"Oh, totally!" Amber nodded.

"Coolest mom ever," Jeanne beamed. "Most definantly seeing you again."

I smiled at her. "Yes." That's all I could really say. "We'll keep in contact. I'd like to do this again."

She nodded, waving good bye. She went off, disappearing into the forming night crowd. I sighed. I instantly missed her. She was easier to talk to then I thought before. She was refreshing, young and beautiful for her age. She said before that she was forty-three, which sounds ridiculous when she looked _way _younger.

Amber stretched, letting out a big yawn. "God Gwen, you are so, like, lucky. My boyfriend's mom isn't as cool as your boyfriend's. She likes all those ugly knit sweaters and smells like old cheese."

"My boyfriend's mom smells like incense. Do you know how much _she_ uses? She smells like a freaking incense convention or something."

"Incense convention, huh?" I laughed, rolling my eyes.

Jeanne blushed. "Ah shuddup!"

Amber smirked. "You know what's awesome? She can be your mother in law one day. That'd be pretty freaking awesome."

I smiled at that. That was something to consider…

:Olivia's POV:

"I'm home!" I called out, seeing Kevin on the couch with his eyes drooping. He shot up, eyes wide.

"Woah! How long were you planning to stay out for?"

"Oh, only for awhile. Then I bumped into someone and we chatted for awhile. It kinda escalated at that."

He rolled his eyes. "Kinda? Mom, you've been out for a really long time."

"Only two hours sweetheart." I rested next to him. "Oh honey, you should have been there."

"I really have shouldn't. Two hours? Shopping? No way."

"But the person I bumped into is someone you know."

"Who?"

"Not telling," I said in a sing song. I got up from the couch, taking my bags and head toward my room. He followed me.

"Who was it ma?"

"Not telling you!"

It went on for awhile. Maybe a few hours. I lost track after a few minutes.

A/N: Oh, Mrs. Levin you are so cruel xD You can only imagine Kevin's face when she finally got it out though ha ha :D Thank you mysterious No Name for the suggestion. And here's a link to see the shirt Gwen got: .com/One-Shoulder-Silk-Peek-A-Boo-Top/dp/B003AWPAJ6?ie=UTF8&field_launch-date=-1y&field_availability=-2&navAsinList=B003N7URF0%2CB003JSUHRQ%2CB003H6G19S%2CB003L0JM82%2CB003JT03WE%2CB003JSSFSO%2CB003JSUNES%2CB003JT0F6I%2CB003GJPJS0%2CB003F5XO7I%2CB003G2W1QU%2CB003AWPAJ6%2CB002XLIJ7K%2CB003AX5VTY%2CB003AWF712&navAsinListIndex=0&searchRank=-product_site_launch_date&id=One%20Shoulder%20Silk%20Peek-A-Boo%20Top&ref=search_results_12&node=2245308011&field_browse=2245308011&searchSize=20&searchNodeID=2245308011&searchPage=1&asinSearchPageIndex=11&searchBinNameList=null&field_is-searchable=0&pf_rd_r=134C2SCSEA3CSNV68G6S&pf_rd_m=A2FMOXN01TSNYY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=2245308011&pf_rd_p=495094551&pf_rd_s=search-results Damn. Long link O.o So yeah…thank you for reading and hope you review! :D


	7. Days

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10, yadda yadda yadda…

A/N: Hey! What's going on you guys? It's only two more weeks until my sophomore and I'm totally freaking out right now :D It's going to be an adventure…well, for you guys today, I will be writing the next one in this lil' thing. "Days." I got the inspiration from watching Alien Swarm four times today 'cause I was really bored. Went on IMDB, looked at somethings…then remembered Elena :) A little fact: Alyssa Diaz, the actress that played as Elena, played as Samantha in the Jensen Project and sang "Don't Stop" for the movie. Here's a snippet of it: .com/the-jensen-project/soundtrack/alyssa-diaz

Big Damn Table

7. Days

Alright. You may not know much about me. So here's a little something.

My name is Elena Morgan Validus. I'm a single child with a single dad that's retired from the Plumber business. My mom died from breast cancer when I was four, so my dad brought me over to his part time job after school as a business man. He's all human, so was my mom. My whole family are a bunch of humans. My dad's side just got involved into it by a few family friends.

I only and will play soccer. It's a commitment of mine ever since I was a kid. My dad wanted me to join typical girl things as a kid like cheerleading, dance and gymnastics. Then when I refused to do those, he brought me into sports like basketball, softball and soccer. I fell in love with soccer once I stepped foot on the artificial green grass.

When I had to move to Bellwood when I was 13, I was furious. I grew up with friends on the soccer team, the only ones that knew me and understand me. My dad apologized over and over that he was sorry, he quit his job as a business man and wanted to become a full time Plumber. He knew a partner he had for a long time even before I was born. And that partner lived in Bellwood.

I left Texas with tearful goodbyes and the soccer team's old soccer ball that was practically falling apart. It made me comfortable, having a piece of a childhood memory. I knew within a few **days** I would miss my team. My family.

Bellwood, Michigan wasn't as small as I thought it'd be. There was a large city area with a park. Garage areas were around the suburbs and nice fancy homes were in a quiet remote area with the tall bushes and trees. There was a park with a water fountain and tennis/basketball courts. There were three schools. One joined elementary and middle school, one high school and a prep school for all grades pre-K through 12th.

"There's no college?" I asked dad, soccer ball perched up on my lap.

Dad laughed. "Nope. There's not enough room."

"Really? So all that empty land belonged to people back there?"

"It's called a farm sweetie."

I rolled my eyes and looked out of the window. We were getting deeper into the city. I counted three apartment complexes, five restaurants, twelve glass buildings for businesses, a JCPennys and an Apple store. I laid back in my seat. "Maybe this isn't the country-bumpkin place that I expected it to be."

"It's a small town, but not that small," he smiled. "Let's get to our apartment and then we can help get you registered for school. You start tomorrow."

I groaned, smacking my head on the car seat. "Don't remind me. Being the new girl isn't exactly all that fun."

"I'd imagine so."

"Then why do you mock me?"

"Because it's funny watching your reactions. I never know what to expect from you my little _petardo._"

"What?"

He laughed. "Have you been paying attention in your Spanish classes?"

"Urgh, sorry. When you have to leave school, you tend to push everything to the side. And don't pull the whole I've-Got-The-Hot-Spanish-Blood-Line thing either. Spanish hertitage doesn't affect anything when you're learning a new language. Including Spanish."

He let out one little chuckle, driving into a apartment complex. It had a pool and main building at the entrance, along with a guard section. I watched as dad explained to the guard that we were new here, then looked around. The buildings were all clones of each other, with reddish-brown brick, polished red doors and golden plates with the room's numbers on them.

Dad gave the guard the information about us and the apartment forms, then the guard passed it back, nodded and said, "Go to the main building to get the key and the car sticker to confirm that you stay here. Without it, you can't come in."

Duh. Obviously.

Dad nodded, saying his thanks and "Have a nice night" then drove to a section of apartments. Section 2-1. "I'll run and get the key and sticker. You can start bringing stuff to our room. Our number is 313."

313. Third floor. Of course. I sighed, nodded, then got right on it. I got out of the car and dad rushed to the main building. I started with the stuff in the trunk which was boxes of delicate plates and chinaware. I took one box at a time and took my time going up the stairs, making sure my foot didn't slide on the edge. Once I got to the door, I realized that our room was right next to the stairs. Ok, so walking really wasn't a problem. Other people walking past our room, however, was.

With a sigh, I put the box next to the door and went down to get another box.

After twenty minutes, I was done with the silverware and grabbed the boxes for my clothes, which were really only two. I wasn't the girly girl, so I didn't care for make-up, skirts and fancy shoes. Comfortable shorts, t-shirts and sneakers were more in my league. Dad finally made it and we went inside, putting things where they belonged. It was cool because there was already a small TV, couch, dressers, fridge and beds already inside, so all we had to do was unpack. For the few hours we had, it was a total breeze. All I had to do was get registered.

The school was combined with elementary and middle school, so it was a large place. There was a soccer (Thank God) and baseball field. It had a small parking lot, only meant for teachers and a student drop off for buses and parents.

The hallways were quiet, but I knew they weren't going to be tomorrow. We head to the office and I was instantly bored the moment I walked in. There was an old woman at the desk that greeted us and waved toward the seats in front of her desk. I plopped down and looked outside through the window.

The soccer field had some kids there already. They were kicking balls back and forth to each other, dashing between orange cones. I felt empty, not being there, joining them. I spoke up as the woman and my dad discussed about something. What, I don't know. "There's a soccer team?"

The woman smiled warmly. "Yes. It's co-ed."

I counted, eyebrows shooting up. "It's all guys though."

She sighed. "Yes. There aren't many girls that have joined. All have quit within a few minutes of try outs, from what I've heard. The coach is very strict and likes to make them do a few extra things every once in awhile. And you know what I mean."

"I know. My coach was the same. If we won a point over our opponents, the coach said we could've easily tied, and he'd make us run a mile."

"So you play soccer I suppose?"

Dad gave me a ruffle of my short hair with a laugh. I brushed his hand away. "She does. She's a tough girl with a good academic background. She'll be great."

The woman smiled. "That's good to hear."

-Next Day-

When I woke up in my new bed, I stretched, kissed the old soccer ball on its rough, peeling leather and made a dash to the kitchen. My stomach was already growling at me. I ate some Frosted Flakes, eyeing my schedule.

1-Advanced Arts-M. Tumbleman

2-Honors English-A. Highsmith

3-Algebra 2-T. Wittman

4-Honors U.S History-G. Cooperman

LUNCH

5-Gym-D. Price

6-Envoirmental Science-F. Comeaux

7-Spanish II-H. Smith

So Dad still wanted me in Spanish huh? _Mierda. _Knew that was coming somehow. With a sigh, I dumped my bowl into the sink and got dressed. Nothing too fancy. A Paramore Tour t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. I brushed the snarls in my hair and brushed my teeth. "Dad, wake up! Gotta get me to school!"

Just a short, grunt from his room. "Walk."

Cool. 6:54 in the morning and I walk by myself in the city? That's something new.

I took the five dollars left on the counter and my things, then closed the door behind me. The sun was coming up, so I could see where I was going. It was a little cool and there was a thickness in the air. I took a deep breath, tasting a stale smell of burnt tobacco. I looked next to me, seeing a crushed cigarette on the ground. Nice.

I rolled my eyes and made my way to the school. Apparently I wasn't the only kid. I saw a few guys with bookbags, rolling down the sidewalk on skateboards. I wish that I brought mine with me. It was in my closet. I resisted the urge to run back and get it, so I kept walking, looking around. It wasn't very busy, not like yesterday.

Once I got to the school, then it was busy. Kids crowded around the entrance, blocking the doors. I had a nudge through, earning sneers from well dressed, skinny girls. I sneered back. It was the same way back in Texas. I didn't let those girls get to me. I was stronger than they were.

I made my way to the Advanced Arts class. It was small, but the walls were plastered with posters of masterpieces. I counted three Picassos in one short glance. Then I realized there were no desks or chairs. Just a furry carpeted floor, beanbags and paint splattered boxes with yard sized rolls of paper, paintbrushes, pastels and other media. I grinned. This was a no text book art class. And I loved it.

The kids in there were cool, as well as the teacher. I didn't have to stand up and introduce myself. I drew about myself. A soccer ball, a crappy version of my Dad and a skateboard was on the paper that was passed around kid to kid and they all grinned at me.

Honors English was when I met _him_. English class wasn't as cool as the art class. The teacher wore thick retro glasses and had a really boring voice. He didn't even ask me to introduce myself. He just said name call and went on with a lesson for the Odyssey, which I read already in Texas. I got a small poke on my shoulder. I turned around.

He had messy brown hair that grew past his chin. He had green eyes that brightened up with his smile. I offered a smile back. "Hey. You're new right?" he whispered.

I nodded. "I'm Elena."

"Cool. I'm Ben Tennyson."

I rose an eyebrow. "Tennyson?" Max Tennyson was my Dad's partner. So it was really ironic how I bumped into this guy just now. "Like Max Tennyson?"

"Yeah." He rose an eyebrow as well. "He's my grandpa."

"My dad uh…works with him. He's a Plumber." I hushed my voice and Ben grinned.

"Awesome. So you're the one I've been hearing about. You like soccer?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Our team's co-ed, but there's no girls. We need a new addition. Espicially a girl. We're lacking on different genders here."

I grinned. "I'm interested in joining."

"Cool. You can come meet us after school then. 4 sounds good right?"

"Sounds great."

"Ahem?"

We both snapped up, the teacher glaring at us. "Have a word for us? Elena?"

"Um…no sir."

"Good. Now pay attention."

Once his back was turned and eyes were off of us, Ben leaned in. "He's an ass. Don't listen to him."

"Didn't plan to," I grinned. We shared that look and the instant our eyes hooked onto each other, I knew that this guy was going to make my lonely days a little better.

A/N : There's a second part coming up to this, next chapter. But it won't be published tomorrow. I got other plans D CHRISTMAS IN JULY CHAPTER, woot! Stay tuned and review :) Next is Weeks


	8. Weeks

Disclaimer: Pshh. Never really have owned it. Ever. And you know what I'm talking about MOA. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

A/N: Sigh. Yey. It's back. And my birthday sucks D Gr. I didn't go to Annapolis today because my mom decided it be a good idea to do it yesterday. Then my step dad keeps picking on me for every little thing I do and I had to clean and vaccum all the rooms. Whatever. Can't wait for school and just get away from here. I'm gonna go stir crazy before 10.10.10 goes around…here. Big Damn Table. I'm not done with the Christmas in July, courtesy of my computer freaking out on me. Here's the second part of Elena's life.

Big Damn Table

8. Weeks

School crawled by really slowly, each new class without Ben being frustrating to handle. I needed to talk to him more. He knew my dad (sorta) and he knew how to play soccer. Within a few minutes of that English class, I knew I made a friend. It was faster than I expected, like he broke that tough, crusty wall that I quickly put around me and saw me.

"Elena?"

I jumped in my chair, looking at my Spanish teacher. She was smiling at me, looking as sweet as possible to everyone else. To me, she looked lethal and dangerous. She was like my History teacher from Texas. Mean to me, sweet and kind to others. I put on my best student face, grinning. "Yes Ms. Smith?"

"I suggest that you pay attention. You've missed majority of our session. I expect that new students pay attention very closely. If you miss something, it's very hard to catch up."

"Oh, I understand," I nodded, still grinning. I began blasting my BS story, enjoying myself a little. "You see, my dad though, he says to adapt to a new place, I have to absorb everything. I have to get used to my surroundings. If I don't I can't understand anything and I'll be behind even more." Blah, blah, blah. All that jazz. Whatever it took to drag out the last five minutes. Once the bell rang, the other students smirked at me, snorting to themselves.

"Elena."

I smirked to myself. "Yes?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes. She sat up on her desk, crossing her ugly beige panty-hose covered legs. "It seems to me that you are a…how do I put it…a very _complicated_ student."

"I consider myself a little naïve," I shrugged innocently. "I mean, my dad's kind of kept me away from people, you know?"

She frowned, eyebrows furrowing. "No. I don't know."

"Well, you see, my dad's very protective over me. I'm his little girl and his only little girl. I try to get to know people but he just says that others don't matter. It's just getting ahead, avoiding danger along the way." I just let my mouth speak for itself, letting it take control. Blabbing until 4 o' clock seemed like the responsible thing to do. Besides, I had ten minutes.

Then she made a noise that sounded like a train whistle. She shook her head. "Go on Elena. Talk to you tomorrow."

Aw, too bad. I had seven minutes. "But Ms. Smith, I'd like to…know you more. I remember what my dad said before. I need to adjust-"

"No, no. Tomorrow. Go now Elena."

I walked out of the room, and let out a snort. It was fun messing with adults. They acted all superior and mature. They used to be kids. They used to do stupid stuff. So why do they yell at us or lecture us if we do something wrong? They're all just major hypocrites.

At the corner of my eye, I saw Ben at his locker, putting books away. Once he closed it, he saw me. "Oh, hey. Er…Elena, right?"

"Yep, that's me." I walked toward him. "Can I walk with you to the soccer field? Since I don't really know the way and all…plus I wanted to know you a little more."

"That's totally cool with me," he grinned. "C'mon. I'll show a short cut." Once we began walking down the stairs, he launched into a round of 20 Questions. Favorite color, favorite tv show, favorite band or singer, favorite food…all that. I answered them. Red, CSI, Paramore and pizza, by the way.

Then I began to ask him questions. His favorite color was green, favorite tv show was 30 Rock, favorite band was Linkin Park and his favorite food was also pizza. Only difference was that he hated pineapples on his. I loved pineapples on them. We walked out of the back exit and entered the grassy field. The soccer field was only a two minute walk, and we easily filled the time. Once we reached there, I saw a group of twelve guys joking around, throwing balls at each other.

"Where's the coach?" I asked.

"In his office. He'll be out in…" He got out his cell phone. "Ten minutes."

The guys turned around when Ben closed the gate behind them. I felt their eyes examining me head to toe. I wasn't dressed up all girly. I didn't have long hair, just short, uncontrollable brown hair. No makeup, just me in plain tan skin that I inherited from my family. No skirt, but comfy jeans and a Paramore T-shirt with tennis shoes on my feet.

"This your girlfriend?" one guy sneered. "She's a little flat chested man…"

"Are all girls here with big boobs and all guys focused on boobs and sex? Not all." I watched their smug looks wipe clean off their faces, then were replaced with scowls. I smirked in satisfaction. "Elena Validus by the way guys. I heard you need a girl on your team." I waved to my flat chested, boyish figure. "Well here I am."

The other guys exchanged glances at each other, then burst into laughs, like it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. I looked at Ben. Ben just rolled his eyes and shook his head in response. I guess he was used to this.

"Girly, you wouldn't last a **week** on this team," the chest critic laughed, wiping his eye. "What makes you think we need a girl."

I glared at them. Was every girl here a total soccer fail, or were these just total pigs? I was tied between the two. Was there a way to get through the thick skulls of these stupid adolescent boys?

Yes. There defiantly was.

"Who's the toughest guy on your team?" I asked. Of course, except for Ben who was being reasonable guy on the field, everyone rose their hand. I rolled my eyes. I examined them. I found a tall guy with heavy set shoulders. "You."

" 'Ey. This guy has a name you know," he grunted. "It's Cameron."

"OK…Cameron. I can prove to you that I can last just as long as you all can."

More laughter.

"I'm serious. Come on Cameron."

I waved him over to me and grabbed a soccer ball that was tossed to the ground. "Who's the goalie?" I asked. Ben smiled with a wave. I felt a little relived for some reason. "OK. Go to your goal." Ben ran and I dug into my pocket. I had change from lunch (which reminds me, do you know how much the school lunch sucks? Badly.). I pulled out a quarter. "Head or tails?"

"Tails."

"Heads for me then. Which ever side lands has to defend the goal and get the ball in the other goal. Which means we need another goalie…Which means you chest critic." I pointed to him and he frowned. I felt a wave flow from them, crossing between intimidation and confusion. "Yes you. Other goal." He ran to the other one. "Alright. Here. To be fair, I'll let you do the toss." He grabbed it with his meaty fist and glared at me. Cameron was dead set on crushing me, girl or not. I was pissing this guy off and I was kind of enjoying it. OK, that's a lie. I was _really_ enjoying it.

He tossed it onto the ground and we leaned in. Heads. I smirked. "I'm defending Ben's side. You defend Mr. Chest Critic."

"IT'S ERIC!" he shouted from across the field. I ignored it and shooed the other guys. They watched from the bench, silent and glaring at me. Ben gave a smile and a sharp nod. He bent down, taking his stance.

"Ready?" I muttered.

"Believe it bitch," he leered.

"1…"

"2."

"3." I let him take the hit first and caught his foot with my ankle. He tripped, swearing and I made a mad dash for Eric's goal. He stared at me in shock and spread his arms out, ready. I checked my angles, then waited for Cameron to come up behind me. Once he was two steps behind me, I crossed my feet, turned around and kicked up, back smacking against the grass. I heard the satisfying swish of the net catching the ball. I grinned, looking to see that I made it in. Everyone was stunned, unable to speak. Ben made the first move, running to me.

"You alright?" Ben asked, picking me up.

"I feel great."

"That was pretty cool. You were really quick…it was over in a few moments."

Cameron stared at something over my shoulder. I heard a pair of hands clapping. I turned to see a balding man with shorts and a sweatshirt, clapping, a big smile on his wrinkly face. He held out his hands like he was going to hug me. "You…are an amazing lil' girl. You interested in joining my team?"

I could almost feel Ben grin next to me.

Turns out I don't need a week to prove myself. I had more to prove in a few moments.

A/N: Remembering soccer games back in gym makes me remember that one play one guy did. He hurt his head once he fell on the wood floor but he got up easily and we won every round. Freaking amazing :) So yeah…REVIEW! As a b-day present to me…? *hopeful*


	9. Months

Disclaimer: Ugh. Don't own Ben 10 'cause, you know, MOA does. Screw this. I'm going to sleep. -.- Zzzz…

A/N: Hey ya guys :) School's gonna start for me next Tuesday so I'll try to update as much as I possibly can. When everything's settled, I can go to the Media Center for one hour lunch and try to work on stuff there, whenever I have the time. So, for this one, it will be in Kevin's POV. This is dedicated to my little brother, who just turned 10 months today :) I'm a happy sis and I love youuuu…and you guys of course! :D I'm so happy for the reviews and I hope you really like this chapter.

Big Damn Table

9. Months

"Alright. Nine **months**."

I sat next to Gwen, holding her hand tight. My hand was sweating, I'm sure of it. But Gwen didn't take any notice to it, her wide green eyes locked onto the man across from us. She was shocked, mesmerized, excited and astonished all at once, a big smile on her face. Her face flushed, brightening her features.

"So…I _am_…"

"Yes." The doctor just mumbled in a simple monotone, holding up the little white stick, plain in view to anyone passing by the patient room. He looked bored and tired. Sure, he probably had done this for a long time and whenever he gave out the news to anyone, it was like he was just telling the weather that was going on outside.

That thought about the doctor and his past experiences didn't faze me at that moment. All I remember thinking was, "Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." I had a really light feeling, like I was going to faint.

Gwen yanked out of my grasp, shooting up and pumped her fists in the air. She twirled around. "I'm going to be a mom! Kevin, we're going to be parents!" She grinned at me, the smile feeling like being splashed with ice cold water.

_Uh, dude? Wake up already. You're going to be a dad. How do you feel?_

_I…don't know._ I really didn't know what to feel. I felt like a mix-mash of emotions. I felt pretty excited. Being a dad, _a father_, was something that meant a lot. I felt pretty damn scared too.

I never really knew my dad.

What if my kid didn't get to know me?

I was going to be in the line of fire at the battles, always there to fight. I've seen men and women slaughtered before my eyes and I had to go to families, mothers and fathers holding on to their spouse's job as a Plumber to keep their lives together. Then I would unwillingly see them break apart at my feet, their children right next to them.

What happened if I died and Gwen was all left alone? I couldn't bear that. I was so hard to imagine and accept.

I couldn't let any of that happen.

I won't let any of that happen.

"Mr. Levin?"

"Kevin, are you okay?"

I snapped out of my dreaded thoughts, seeing Gwen sitting next to me, concerned. "Are you okay? You look really, really pale," Gwen murmured. She brushed back a strand of hair and relaxed at her soft, careful touch.

"I'm fine, just…"

She smiled. "Me too. Scary and wonderful at the same time."

The doctor cleared his throat. "Now, we're going to need to talk about plans. Not at this moment, but you need to make sure of what you're going to be doing. Any middle wives or doctors that you know that can deliver the baby, any hospitals you can schedule…that sort of thing. You need to visit here again in a few weeks to know how many there are."

"How…many?" It came out weak and I cleared my throat. "So…you don't know how many…we're going to have?"

"Not yet. But we will." He sent us on our way with some paper work and a gift bag with motherhood magazines, a motherhood information and tips book and agendas with info about a baby's growth over nine months. We got into the car, jittering the whole way there.

The feeling was certain now.

I was happy. Just solely, plainly happy. There was no doubting that. I felt my heart beating in my chest, my skin prickling. As soon as I started the car, Gwen threw her arms around me and squeezing me tight. I grinned and hugged her back. I felt her stomach press against me and pulled away.

"What is it?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head and bent down, eyes on her slim stomach. "Hey. I don't know how many there are. But whether there's one or eight in there-dear lord, I hope there's no eight-, know that I can't wait to see you. We're going to keep a close eye and love you to death." And with one swift movement, I lifted Gwen's blouse up, kissed the soft, smooth skin of her stomach and rested my forehead. I felt a tingle connect between my skin and hers.

Gwen laughed, bubbly and estactic. "Our child-or children-are going to be absolutely spoiled."

"I hear that." I pulled away, grinning ear to ear. "So. Names."

"Jaylynn for a girl and Delvin for a boy."

I laughed. "That didn't take very long."

"Not a second to waste."

And with that, we drove back home, imagining my perfect children with black hair and green eyes with their dad's confidence and their mother's smarts.

A/N: OK. Review! Let's leave it at that :P


	10. Years

Disclaimer: Don't own anything for my sake. Or MOA's sake for that matter. I'm just gonna keep babbling aren't I? Well blah, blah, blah…

A/N: HEYYYY! Let's go for two in one night O_O *mind whack*Have you guys heard of the Ben 10 graphic novel, Doom Domination? Look it up on Google if you haven't! The art reminds me the Gorillaz (it's a band, if you didn't know) and I was happy to know there was a kiss scene for Gwevin but then I had a little part of myself die a little. It looked so…BAD. So here's #10, Years. Not trying to copy anyone, but this is when Gwen and Kevin see each other again between that 5 year span. All in Gwen's POV :)

Big Damn Table

10. Years

There was a one **year**difference between us. I was ten, he was eleven. Then there were other differences between us, like how he was a boy, I was a girl; he had dark hair and eyes, I had bright eyes and a light hair color etc. Then there was the difference of good and evil. Yin and yang. We were totally different from each other and we had absolutely nothing in common.

I felt bad for him for awhile. I mean, how was he directed to this path of destruction and evil? What happened to him so badly that he decided to be this way and try to kill innocent people?

I didn't know anything about Kevin Ethan Levin.

And I really didn't want to.

After that summer, I pushed all that alien stuff behind and let Ben be with his Omnitrix. At least, that's what I wanted to do.

I wanted to forget everything that happened that summer. The aliens, the battles, the near-death accountsI had even though I was only ten years old, and the magic powers I recived in New Orleans. I forced it from my mind, and started cramming things in my life. Once I was a freshman, I was in the swimming team, track team, cross country, horseback riding and did as much martial arts training I could to balance my mind and my body. Then I joined Journalism and Finance classes along with honor and AP classes that could keep me busy and side tracked.

I was all fine until it was three weeks before I turned fifeteen years old. School was over and all the activites I did over the summer were done. I had a month to think of new ideas, but the efforts were useless.

I found myself going through my things under my bed. I opened a shoebox and a flood of memories entered my mind, washing around me like a wave. I had my tiny magic spell book and tiny vials of spices and some liquids I had picked up from a tourist shop in New Orleans. I remembered how the ingredents and the spells actually worked when I tried them when I was ten years old and I sighed in defeat. I locked my bedroom door before returning to my things. I flipped through the spell book and scanned through the foreign words that I was actually familiar with. I looked at the spices and took a careful sniff at one, realizing it was just cinnamon and cloves, not some illegal drug.

There was my Lucky Girl mask, nestled in the magic items. Somehow it seemed more magical than all the other items. I picked it up carefully as if a simple touch can make it easily fall apart. It felt so soft in my hands, like velvet. The purple tracings on the black mask were exotic and beautiful, making that mysterious look that I was instantly comforted about. Though it still excited me, little sparks going off in my head.

_Try it on. See if it still fits. _I was tempted by the thought. Then I shook my head, putting it back in the box. I jammed the box back under my bed and grabbed my hoodie from my desk chair, along with my cell phone. I unlocked the door and turned off the light. My parents sat in the living room, watching some news broadcast about a earthquake at a small island near Asia. I cleared my throat and they looked up.

"Going somewhere?" Dad asked.

"Um, yeah. I wanted to head to the book store and grab a book."

"Oh? Do you have your cell phone on you." I held it up and he nodded. "Alright. You have three hours. Be here by 11."

"OK Dad." I gave them a quick peck on the cheek and made my way out. The small stores in my neighborhood were a ten minute walk from my house, and the city was a thirty minute walk. I decided to head to the small stores instead. It was a quieter place, somewhere where I could just have a clear mind and clean air to breathe in. It was also nice at night, cool and relaxing. Not many crimes happened there, so it was OK to walk there without an adult.

I shoved the hood over my head and tucked in my long hair underneath. Ever since I was ten, I decided to grow my hair out. I looked better with longer hair and I began to grow out of my tomboy phase, courtesy of more boys coming around. I wanted to be like the other girls and focus on boys, school and life.

Not magic and aliens.

I sighed heavily and began humming to calm myself. Breathe in, breathe out.

There was a sharp, choking cough that stopped me in my tracks. I looked around. Nothing but a few cars parked at the sidewalk. I kept walking and hummed again. I felt a little annoyed when it sounded a little panicked, then I became frustrated. I growled. "WHY CAN'T MY LIFE JUST BE NORMAL FOR ONCE?" I hollered, my lungs aching at the effort. My voice echoed into the city and I groaned. What was wrong with me?

"Well, it's not going to be normal if you shout to the sky like that."

I blushed. Someone heard that?

_Well, obviously, someone would, with you screaming out all that at the top of you lungs like a person with a mental disorder. _Consciences only made life so much better. I looked over my shoulder and my breath caught in my throat. "Ohmigod, are you alright?"

The teen looked at me annoyed, with scars on his eyelids. "I'm just fine." He had a muscular body, but with bruises and deep cuts on his exposed skin. He wore a torn up black tank top and torn jeans. They didn't look like they were meant to be torn like you buy them. The tears looked pretty serious, some of the tears showing even more cuts. There were bloody smears on his face and his black hair fell limply, still exposing his dark eyes that looked a little blood shot.

I launched into panic mode. "You need to go to the hospital! All those cuts need to get cleaned before they get seriously infected."

"No, I don't need to go," he snorted. He made his way past me. "I'm totally fine."

I glared at his back. Why do guys have to act all tough and macho when they're clearly in pain? "No way," I said, grabbing his wrist. He glared at me and I felt myself shrink a little. He seriously creeped me out. "At least let my help. I have first aid experience." My voice was tiny and weak. "You don't need to go to the hospital, but at least let me clean them. After that you can go on with your life or whatever. Please?" I couldn't help myself. I sounded like a little girl that found a stray puppy and wanted to care for it, no matter how much her parents said no. I waited for his answer, watching his eyes. He scanned me up and down and locked onto my eyes.

It took me a second to catch my breath.

"Sure. Whatever."

"C'mon." I tugged him to a store and went to one of the workers and asked for a First-Aid kit. He looked at us strangly then passed it over. We went out into the lit alley and sat on the gravel. "Not a great place, but it's enough," I muttered, opening the kit. It was small, but it had what I needed. "Shirt off please."

He smirked. "OK. But only 'cause you're hot."

I blushed, then glared at him. I took that glare back as soon as he took the ripped shirt off, and exposed his fit, toned upper body. I shivered a little once I saw the scars. I focused on that and began to clean them. To keep the awkwardness away, I began the conversation.

"Favorite music?"

He snorted. "That was sorta weak, don't you think?"

I sighed. I wrapped the bandage around his scarred elbow. "It was worth a try." He fell into silence and winced when I put a band-aid on his chest where there was a shallow cut. "It's going to hurt," I murmured. "So just sit still."

"Sure thing."

He was good for the rest. He rolled up his pants, me not wanting to get anymore distracted than I was. Then when his scars and cuts were done on his legs, I looked at his face. "You're going to have a shiner..." I muttered.

"Fights do that to you," he chuckled.

"You were in a fight huh?" So that was what it was. "Must've been intense."

"Yeah. I won though." He straightened his shoulders, a cocky smile on his face. I smirked a little and he smirked back. I wiped the blood from his face and didn't see anything else.

"I'm done." As he put his shirt back on and ruffled his hair, I closed the case and walked back into the store to return it. Once I walked out, he was already walking away, hands in his pockets. "WAIT!" I called. He stopped, eyebrow raised. "You didn't tell me your name."

He smiled. It wasn't kind, but it was better than the cocky smirks he was giving me before.

He spoke three little words, his husky voice imprinting them in my mind, that way I'd never forget him.

Kevin Ethan Levin.

Then he walked away, leaving me with my crumbling wall of a new life I tried to recreate.

A/N: Ohhhh. Bad eh? Review plzzz? :D Love-Brandy!


	11. Red

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA does. Of course that can always be arranged :D Muhahaha…no, not really. That was a joke guys :p

A/N: Hellllloooo there :D Reviews are making me smile you guys and I'm happy for all the favorites ^.^ SO, this one is "Red." We're moving into color themes now, so this should be interesting to try out...I was thinking and considering a few ideas for this and I came up with this. Sooo...hope that's good enough for you guys :P

Big Damn Table

11. Red

"What color is my hair?"

Kevin looked up from his phone, in the middle of texting Ben. He rose an eyebrow. "Uh...isn't it obvious? Unless you turned color blind-"

Gwen rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "No, no. Like what _shade_ is it?"

"I dunno Gwen," he shrugged. He went back to finishing the text for Ben and closed it. "It's a dark **red**."

"That's it?"

"That's all I can give ya."

Gwen smiled and shook her head again. She looked away from her dresser mirror, adjusted her skirt and sat down next to him on her bed. She rested her head on his shoulder and he relaxed at the touch, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Her hair was sweet smelling, washing him in a fragrance of granny smith apples and blossoms. Kevin smiled and lifted up his arm to start stroking her hair. Gwen smiled and closed her eyes, snuggling against him.

As she drifted into her own little world, Kevin focused on her hair, closer than he really ever had. Her red hair was defiantly something else. It wasn't that dyed dark red shade that girls tried to pull off or that orange-carrot color that some girls had in crazy, frizzy curls. There was something deep in her hair, warm and cool at the same time.

He lifted a strand of hair, letting the sunlight reflect on each color that caught his eye.

There were hues of crimson and scarlet, with the sunlight catching some strawberry blonde streaks and warm browns. The colors melded together to create that perfect glow that only Gwen posessed.

He rested his chin on her head, still stroking her soft hair. "I'm not really sure what color it is. But I know it's defiantly a perfect color that I really love."

"So is it your favorite color?" she murmured, so relaxed by his fingers brushing through her hair, she felt sleepy.

"Is now."

A/N: Ohhhh Kevin you sap you xD So what do you think? Like, don't like? Be honest please. HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!...just don't be mean about it -.-


	12. Orange

Disclaimer: Whatever.

A/N: So. Next color is orange...so this should be fun :P There's a Drake and Josh reference in here...just a warning.

Big Damn Table

12. Orange

Ben sat there, drinking his tenth smoothie in one hour. Kevin and Gwen were talking about something, sharing a smoothie and staring at each other all lovingly. Ben frowned, feeling a little left out. He missed Julie instantly, wishing that there was no tennis practice that took Julie away. He tapped into their conversation, slurping noisly.

"I'm not really getting into all those advanced classes," Kevin said, crossing his arms. "It just seems like a hassle."

"It may seem that to you, but you never know," Gwen reasoned. "You should get into one at least. You aren't dumb Kevin. You are very smart Kevin, you just don't bother to do anything with your smarts. I know school isn't fun but-"

"School makes my future," Kevin sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know." Even though he seemed annoyed, he still looked at Gwen all cutesy. "You think I'm smart?"

"Sure." Gwen blushed. She took a sip of their smoothie to keep quiet. Kevin and Ben saw right through it.

Kevin was about to pounce on the opportunity to make things really awkward, but Ben stepped in, remembering something that made him a little curious before. "Hey, guys, what rhymes with **orange**?"

Kevin and Gwen stared at him, puzzled and a little concerned. "Er...what?" Gwen rose an eyebrow.

"Tennyson, you worry me sometimes. Are you using that brain of yours properly?"

Ben pouted. "My brain functions perfectly fine. And this happens to be a very serious question!"

"Why? Is it going to help us bring world peace?" Kevin asked sarcastically, smirking.

"No but-"

"Universal peace for that matter," Gwen added, nodding. Kevin muttered an agreement and Ben rolled his eyes.

"No. I wish it was that easy. I was just curious."

There was a few minutes of awkward, weird silence and a few times of Ben sipping on his orange smoothie. Then Kevin straightened up, smirking. "Door hinge. For sure."

Gwen and Ben stared at him, eyebrows raised. "Uh...Kevin?" Gwen said. A smirk appeared on her face and she crossed her arms. "Did you...have you watched Drake and Josh?"

"Psh. No way. That kid's show? Hell no."

"Who said it was a kid's show?" Ben chirped, joining in.

Kevin frowned, then hid his face in his hands.

"Crap."

A/N: Kevin got caught red handed...or should I say ORANGE-handed. *silence* I said, ORANGE-HANDED. Get it? 'Cause this is a chapter about...oranges...? *cricket chirps*

Brooke: Give it up Brandy. You suck.

Me: YOU SUCK MORE! *more silence* Er...REVIEW PLEASE! *runs away*

Brooke: *sees my defenseless laptop* *evil idea* Muhahahahaha D


	13. Yellow

Disclaimer: Psh. Don't care. Look at the other chapters. Don't feel like sayin' it.

A/N: VAMPIRES SUCK IS EPIC SAUCE! Psh, just wanted to get that outta my system :D Haha, so yeah, this is a chapter I had difficulty with. I couldn't really think of anything for this, but you know what? If I didn't think of an idea for this, you wouldn't be reading this right now :p Yellow isn't my favorite color. It's at the bottom with mossy green and brown. Orange is more of my color :) It's been my favorite for a really, really long time, ever since I was a kid. OK, getting a little off-topic here. No Name, you kill me. I adore the reviews so much x3 I can't thank you for all of them without taking up all of the space of this :p And Spoonful of Lead? I love your art and your writings! So when you reviewed, I was really happy! :D Oh, that reminds me...I have a deviantart account with the same username as this one. Check it out :)

Big Damn Table

13. Yellow

Ben stood at the park entrance wearing his ID mask. He had the same facial features, but he had unruly dirty blond hair that stuck up in different directions and blueish-green eyes. The ID mask covered up his Ultimatrix so he could wear short sleeves freely in the hot weather. Wearing that green jacket was nice only when he was fighting aliens to protect his skin and when it got cold. On a typical summer day like this with ridiculous hot weather, it was a good idea to wear some short sleeves and shorts.

He scratched his head, looking around. There were a lot of kids swarming the ice cream and sno-cone carts, and around the water fountain. There were a few teen couples wondering around, holding hands and holding something cold. Ben frowned, looking down at his condensating water bottle. His hand was getting wet and heated. He jammed the bottle in his pocket and took out his phone.

Where the heck was Julie?

He dialed her number, waiting. Then it went straight to voice mail. Before he could call her again, he heard the familiar buzz of her moped. She rolled down the street and stopped at the entrance. She locked the moped, put her keys in her purse and put the helmet on the seat. She smiled at Ben, familiar with the disguise Ben was using.

Ben stared at her back, a little surprised.

Julie wore a tiny **yellow** sundress. It cut off at the middle of her thighs and the skirt flowed around her as she walked to him. "Hey Ben."

"H-hey." He blushed a little. She was really cute in that. She said before that she never really liked that color, espicially on her. She liked the pastel colors. White, pink, blue, all the softer, light colors. Nothing bright or dark. So this was a nice change, something that he had never seen before. "You're...you're a little late."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "Sorry. I had to find something nice to wear. I didn't really think of wearing this, you know. Gwen bought it for me awhile ago." She twisted, angling her body to see her body in full view. When she showed her back, he saw how the back dipped down and had ribbons sewn into the back like a corset. She turned to face him again, grinning. "What do you think?"

"I...It looks great," he said, choking on his words a little. He gave himself a little mental slap. "Um, you want something? Ice cream, sno-cone, soda...?"

"Sure. Sno-cone sounds great right now."

Julie threaded her fingers through his and he smiled, squeezing her hand lightly. She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked over to the cart. Once it cleared up Julie ordered a small blueberry and Ben got a grape. It tasted great and cooled them down in the summer heat. Julie grinned, then stuck out her tongue, the soft pink stained in a dark blue. Ben laughed, showing off a dark purple, almost black tongue. She made a face and he laughed. They headed into the shaded area and walked on the cement path.

"A breeze would be real nice right now," Julie sighed heavily, tossing her empty cup into the trash.

"You're telling me." His armpits were starting to sweat and he was starting to grow self-conscience. Did he smell. He discreetly tilted his head down to take a whiff. He didn't smell too bad.

Julie leaned on him somemore, her arm brushing against his. He felt his heart studder a little. He hadn't been this close to a girl. Ever. As geeky and nerdy as that sounded, that was the truth. Ben Tennyson, the sixteen year old hero who could turn into a bunch of powerful aliens, was completely girl-dumb.

"Hey, let's stop here," Julie said, pointing to a bench. "I think walking will just exhaust us."

"Hear you there."

They sat on the bench and Julie rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling onto him. Ben blushed a little more once his eyes caught a teen couple a few yards away from them, laying on a picnic blanket, kissing each other. It brought back memories.

Julie kissing him on the cheek to encourage him to go to school and continue his life with his new found fame. It was brief, but he felt his heart freeze for a moment.

At the memory of it, he remembered her lips on his cheek. How warm and comforting they were.

He gazed down. Julie had her eyes closed, a peaceful smile gracing her features. Her lips...They were a soft, light pink that looked completely silky and gentle. They were untouched by make-up, completely natural. They didn't have to be covered up by any sticky, gooey lip gloss. She was naturally beautiful. Every smile, every laugh...

Without a warning registering to his brain, he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. He felt her jump, then relax. She touched the back of his neck, pulling him in. Her lips were just as smooth as they looked, her lips pressing against his so nicely. She was warm...crazy gentle...he felt like he was going to melt into a puddle right on the bench. Just like Goop.

His heart was beating like crazy and he pulled away. He felt himself grin like an idiot. Julie let out a small gasp.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

When he got back home that day,he knew he wouldn't forget anything. Of that first kiss and Julie's yellow dress that felt like satin when he touched her back as they kissed.

A/N: Ahhhh :D -Is Happy- PLZ REVIEW :)


	14. Blue

Disclaimer: ...Nope. Still don't own anything. All belongs to MOA. The graphic novel, Ben 10: Doom Dimension, is owned by Peter David. That is all.

A/N: As you can tell by the disclaimer, I'm doing something from Doom Dimension. Just a warning: THERE ARE SPOILERS TO THE GRAPHIC NOVEL "BEN 10: DOOM DIMENSION". IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS, DON'T READ. IT'S THAT FREAKING SIMPLE. *sigh* So yeah. I also haven't read the whole novel in its enterity, but I'm doing a certain scene that's been drawn out by a lot of fans and reviewed by countless Gwevin fans and yes, Bevin fans. I got the full review from fellow Bevin fan pan2dapan. She can be a little harsh to the whole Gwevin pairing, but hell. She was honest and I kinda agree with her at some parts T~T So here's it in Gwen's POV. And another quick spoiler before this starts...I've never drowned before, so don't be harsh on that :p THIS IS ALL PRE-SEASON 3 OF BEN 10 AF AND BEFORE WAR OF THE WORLDS! So don't get confused.

Big Damn Table

14. Blue

Ben, Kevin and I received an alert on our Plumbers' badges, saying that there was someone in trouble. There was an interstellar spaceship that crash-landed into the beach and that the passenger was in danger. We rushed down to the scene and found the Forever Knights at it again, trying to find some alien tech that they wanted to use for their own dirty deeds. Of course we all launched into action, Ben transforming into Big Chill and Kevin and I getting powered up.

One knight pointed at me and Ben, shouting, "Ben Tennyson! And his cousin, Gwen!"

Kevin picked up a boulder tossing it at the defenseless knight. He smirked. "Hey! I'm standing right here! How come no one yells, 'Holy crap, it's Kevin Levin!'"

We all took our positions. I took care of my stash of Knights just as effortlessly as ever, one punch, one bolt of energy, one kick thrown. There wasn't a single scratch that appeared on my skin. The sand had no affect on my footing. It was just like I was fighting someone on a gymnasium pad or a patch of grass. When I was ready to attack another that began to charge at me, there was a heart shattering scream that made me freeze in my tracks. The Knight threw his sword and I turned, the blade slicing through my shirt, grazing lightly against my skin. He fell at the effort and I looked at the source of the scream. Kevin knelled down, holding a stub of an rocky arm, grunting in pain.

I felt the rage pour into my skin, seeping into my veins. Grinding my teeth, my hands burning with the energy, I charged at the Knights that began to swarm him. I threw a bolt at them with as much force that I could muster. "_Get away from him!_" I hissed. I sat next to him, my hand resting on the stub of his decapitated arm. It was smooth and well cut. I remembered a spell that I learned awhile back...but it was a really long time since I had attempted it. When I think about it, I only read it and never tried it. Well, damn. Sighing, I held my hand up, murmuring the spell. My hand brightened with my signature magenta and I pressed it against the nub.

"You ever," he cut off with a grunt, wincing in pain. "Do anything like this before?"

"No," I admitted weakly. I concentrated a little more, thinking off the rock arm melding back onto him. "So this is as good a time as any to not make a move." As Ben fought of the rest, I looked over my shoulder. "Ben! I need some cover so I can help Kevin!" Ben gave me a sharp nod, working on it. After wiping out the group, he floated to us.

"Can you fix him?" he asked.

"I'm working on it."

"Good," he muttered. "I'll check on our new arrival." He flew toward the crash sight and let me be. There was total silence as I fixed Kevin's arm. The arm picked itself off the ground, glowing the color of my mana, latching back onto Kevin. It snuggled in, adjusted then locked into place. I took a deep breath and smiled.

"Well?"

Kevin stood up, me following the lead. He rolled his shoulder, holding up his hand. Good as knew. He smirked. "Rock and roll."

"Uh boy," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"No pun intended."

"_Sure _it wasn't."

We head to the crash sight, examing the damages from the cliff that it caused. "Hell of a landing," Kevin said, shaking his head. "Wonder what happened."

"That's what we're trying to figure out. When Ben finds the person who was controlling, we can get some answers. But of course..." I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. "That all depends on the survival of the driver."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. It'll be fine." His voice was a little gruff and he gave me a small smile. I felt my heart stutter a little. "It'll be okay. The guy handling something like that ship ought to be surviving a lot of crap."

"You're right." I offered a smile back. We stood there in silence, intact arms crossed. My arm burned a little from the scratch earlier, but I paid no mind to it. All I remember was gazing from the **blue** water of the lake crashing onto the sand to Kevin's rock skin. Once he got rid of the layer of rock, his smooth tan skin returned, his black hair moving along with the breeze. All I could do was wait. Just wait and hope that Kevin could just make up his mind and ask me. Ask me if I wanted to go out with him.

Every moment with him was a chance that was given to him. He passed on each one, even when we were at the edge of death, ready to accept that we may never see the light of day again. He wasn't going to. He never was.

Then there was a shift behind us. I turned to see what it was, but all I saw was a white flash. Something crashed into me, white hot. Couldn't see. Breathe. Think. Feel. My nervous system collapsed.

I can't remember most of what happened at that time when I was shot with the gun that one of the Knights used on me. It was all blank. An empty feeling that I can't put as pain or happiness. All I remember is waking up in the water, my body aching, eyes opened to the darkness of the bottom. I couldn't breathe and my lungs burned as they filled up with the salty water. My nose burned. My eyes squeezed shut and clamped my mouth, resisting the urge to breathe. It was too late to hold my breath. I couldn't do anything but float to the bottom and wait for my death to come.

Then the irony came to me. That I was thinking before that Kevin would never tell me how much he really did care about me.

I knew he did. Every move he made, every catch that I fell into, every smile that he made, every joke that he cracked...I knew that he cared. It was so stupid that I thought about him not telling it me through words.

It was all through his actions that showed that he loved me.

And it was so hard. So, so hard that I couldn't say that...

I...

Loved...

There was a blackness that filled in my body. An empty void. It terrifies me in my dreams now. My death was so close like that. I was nearly dead, busted at the seams...

Then there was a tiny light that busted into that empty, black space. I felt lighter, less heavier. I felt my heart take that first pump and that first wave of blood rushing through my veins. And that rough, yet soft pressure on my mouth, my parted lips taking in breath of another. I felt so alive, taking in that sweet, refreshing scent that I knew so well. My hand pulled up to its own accord, pressing against slick, soft and wet skin, brushing against wet strands of hair. I remember putting back so much fierceness, my heart reminded me that I was very much alive again. I breathed back into him, letting him know that I was still there with him. His hand cradled me, resting on the small of my back. The sand was soft and the waves of salt water that was trying to take me away, crashed around us, trying to take me back. But I was protected by him. I wasn't going to return back to that darkness ever again.

My lungs burned for precious oxygen and I pulled my head back, taking deep gulps of fresh air. I opened my eyes, caught onto his dark ones, his eyes filled with so much emotion. I knew that he did care...no words had to be brought up and-

Oh my God. What was I doing? We were still on a mission!

We pulled away and I turned away, face burning. "Thanks for-"

"No big deal."

"-The breath of life."

"That's all that was."

"Right."

"Meant nothing. So...y'know...what now?"

I cleared my throat. I tried to pull myself together. His lips were so warm and rough against mine, filled with so much passion..."We have to go back to the crash scene." _Keep your composure. Don't let this get to the best of you. _

"OK." Then I heard the shuffle of his feet against the sand. I felt my lips tentatively, blushing. I was never going to forget this.

And to be honest...I never really have.

* * *

A/N: *yawn* Didn't know how to end it, so I ended it there. Hope you guys liked this ^^

Brooke: SCUZZBAG!

Me: What the heck did I do?

Brooke: Anti-Bevin Lover! *crosses arms*

Me: I don't HATE it. It's just...different. Ben and Kevin were enemies and-

Brooke: So were Gwen and Kevin!

Me: ...True. Very true. But still. Lemme remind you that the pairing started when they were kids...and lemme tell you something. That creeped me out when I was ten years old and when that first episode of Kevin's appearance came out.

Brooke: Whatever. *walks away*

Me: okay...there's a website that I found the review for it. Here's the directions: Go to Google. com. Type in search: ben 10 doom dimension gwen and kevin kiss. You should see a link that says ben10 x kevin11: Ben 10 Doom Dimension review...Or Something. Click on that. (The link isn't working on here...so you have to do it yourself. :( Sorry!) It's good, and it has its shares of critic. I have to warn you again, pan2dapan is a straight up Bevin fan. So if you want to get all mad and stuff go to a forum and post bad crap like hate letters and messages on there. If you're okay with the critic like me, then go ahead and look at it. Another warning? The art wasn't...the best. Let's put it that way...so REVIEW PLEASE!

Brooke: You also screwed up.

Me: Huh?

Brooke: This was supposed to be Green...you did Blue instead.

Me: ...!


	15. Green

Disclaimer: Aloha MOA. Don't own your Ben 10 at all...*sniff*

A/N: So yeahhh...the heck? I look at my reviews and this gothika...princess...whatever, kinda confused me O.o But heck, whatever, you know? So if you could gothikaprincess, explain to me what it is that you're talking about? 'Cause I am so confused at the moment T.T Well, school starts tomorrow, so I gotta finish up what I can! Or at least do whatever I can do. I've had company over, and technology is basically banned if company is ever over. So yeah...I couldn't update any sooner until now. And I'm sorry! I totally screwed up. I meant to do this chapter before Blue, but I guess I was so absorbed with doing Blue, that I completely forgot about Green. Poor Green...so here it is!

Big Damn Table

15. Green

Gwen took a deep breath, taking it all in. She was at Grandpa Max's secret fishing rock, the one place she knew so well from so many childhood memories. Everything was so familiar to her, everything being the same. The sweet smell of the **green** grass mixed with the dew and the wildflowers. The breeze swayed with her hair and her light skirt, feeling like she was going to be carried over the water, into the sky. This was the serenity and peace that she needed. She closed her eyes, letting the cool air stroke against her skin, the lightest touch that ever came in contact with her skin.

After a few moments, she re-opened her eyes, a wide smile gracing her features. She looked over her shoulder, her smile softening. Kevin was resting on the hood of his freshly painted and waxed car, arms crossed behind his head, eyes closed. He looked like he was just as relaxed as she was. She took a few tentative steps forward, trying not to awaken him. Kevin opened an eye and smiled at her. "I'm awesome, aren't I?"

"The best, most awesome boyfriend ever," she teased, laying next to him. She kicked her flip-flops off, letting them fall to the ground. Kevin lifted an arm up and she eagerly leaned onto him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, her face warming at the simple, but loving touch. "This is great. I'm really glad I showed this place to you."

"I am too. Otherwise..." he trailed off guiltly, giving her a small smile. "I couldn't have really found anywhere else to take you other than the Pier."

"That's fine," she shrugged. "Really. Anywhere you take me is fine by me. You can take me to an auto show, and that'd be totally fine by me."

He rose an eyebrow in that mock-shocked way. "I don't believe that."

"Why not?"

"Well, you sometimes complain to me about how I take you anywhere fun, _espicially, _when I take you to an auto show. And there was also that one time where-"

"Ruining the moment Kevin."

"You kinda asked for it."

Gwen rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She wiggled out of his grasp and sat up. She looked at her toes. She just had a manicure and pedicure with her mom and her aunt Sandra a few days ago, and they were still fresh. Her nails were painted a light pink, almost clear, with tiny daises painted on the corner. Kevin noticed her gaze, smirking.

"That looks really girly."

"Does it?" Gwen wiggled them, smiling. "I think it looks really cute."

"Meh. Yeah. If you like cutesy-girly stuff."

"Which it so happens that I do." She slid off the hood smoothly and looked over her shoulder. "Want something to drink?"

"Sure."

Gwen smirked. Her eyes glowed magenta, and before Kevin could register what was going on, she lifted her fingers. Streams of the bright pink wrapped around him and with as much effort that she could put into it, she threw him into the water. Kevin yelped like a little dog in surprise, landing into the water with a splash that soaked her head to toe. She couldn't help the laughter that bubbled into her throat and let it take over her body. Kevin swam to the surface, gasping for air. He smirked at her. "So that's how it's going to be huh?"

Gwen smiled, hands on her hips. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do?"

Kevin grinned, his eyes glittering dangerously. Gwen gulped.

Even with her powers and magic, knowing Kevin, she knew she'd better run fast.

* * *

A/N: Haha, I felt like just leaving it there :D I had another idea of Ben painting his room green and realizing that it was too green, like in that Lowe's commerical xD With the girl calling her parents in a freshly painted room with bright green paint, crying, "It's like, REALLY, green!" It cracks me up everytime :p So yeah, review please?


	16. Purple

Disclaimer: Don't own those delicious Mini Fudge Stripes from Keeblers :) Or Ben 10...'cause MOA does. What a cruel world TT^TT

A/N: Baby-sitting lil' kids and adorable commericals. I can't help it xD That's my inspiration...Here's PURPLE! And btw, Mikia is inspired by the lil' girl I babysat :D This is a mirror image of her. For you Mikia!

Big Damn Table

16. Purple

This child was insane.

Mikia Souza was a sweet girl, sure. I mean, at a first glance. She had warm, tan skin with full, pouting lips that were tinted with a soft pink. She had rosy, chubby cheeks and an adorable cooing noise that she made when she looked around the room and examining things. She wore tiny barrettes that were adorned with tiny bows and the cutest dresses. She was the epiphany of innnocence, kissing her Mama and Dada's cheeks before they left. She offered a tiny wave with her tiny, delicate hand when the car left, and once I closed the door, that innocence flew out of the door as well.

Mikia screamed bloody murder and racked rampage around the house within two minutes. I couldn't even register what was going on. With a short sigh, I closed my eyes. I pulled out my compact mirror out of my pocket. _Thought'd that I wouldn't need this, but apparently, I really do. _I opened the case and took out the tiny folded sheet of paper with emergancy spells. I found the one I needed and took a deep breath.

"_Dis stagiusm._"

Silence. I sighed, relieved. I found her in the living room, knocked out cold on the couch. She held the pillow under her head, her dark brown curls framing her face. The sleeping spell worked, apparently. I sat on the couch next to her and looked for the remote to change the channel. Teen Mom marathon on MTV. Hell no. Hated that show. Made me want to rip everyone's head off on that show. Sports, no. HSN, no. I settled on Tom and Jerry, relaxing into the cushions. I took out my iPod touch and checked my Facebook (A/N: It's almost like you don't need a laptop! ...Almost.). I was happy when I saw who was online.

Gwen: Hi Kevin.

Kevin: Hey. How's the baby-sitting coming along?

Gwen: It's OK, I guess.

Kevin: Just OK?

Gwen: Well, OK, not really. I had to use a spell to calm her down. She was Ben x10. No pun intended of course.

Gwen could imagine him, bursting with laughter, holding his sides. She rolled her eyes, smiling at the image. Kevin had talked her into doing a spell before she went to baby sit Mikia, but Gwen rejected the idea. She had thought that that was taking advantage of her powers. She didn't want to control anyone with her magic. Well...even though that one time when she controlled Kevin at that Christmas in July party...

Kevin: Ha ha 'course not. So I take it that you took my advice. Good ;)

Gwen: I felt exhausted within two minutes. I know that's not really trying, but I knew trying to calm HER down was going to be absolutely useless. So I decided to do the spell.

Kevin: You're not taking advantage. Besides, you are saving your energy, right?

Gwen: Sure, I guess.

Gwen looked at Mikia, who was snoring lightly now, a curl over her mouth being sucked in when she took a breath, and the curl lifting up in the air when she exhaled. Gwen smiled, the image reminding her of an old cartoon. She brushed the girl's curl out of her face and went back to chatting with Kevin. It went on for the rest of Tom and Jerry and a little bit into Chowder. The voice of Schnitzel sounded really familiar somehow to her.

Kevin: Hey, listen, lunch break's over OK? Gotta go. What time did you say that you leave?

Gwen: 11.

Kevin: Cool. I'll pick you up and drop you off, alright?

Gwen: Sounds good to me :) Love you.

Kevin: Love you too babe. See you in a few hours.

Gwen smiled. She loved it whenever he called her babe. It used to annoy her to the extreme, but when he started teasing her with "pumpkin", "sugar bear" and "puddin' cup", "babe" seemed more of what she wanted. Now he called her babe every once in awhile, substituting it for all that sappy crap nicknames.

Mikia stirred in her sleep, rubbing her eyes. "I'm hungry," she murmured.

"What do you want to eat?" Gwen asked softly, trying to keep her calm. "A snack?"

She nodded, yawning and stretching her arms. She followed Gwen into the kitchen and pointed to the food cabinet. Gwen reached for the gummy fruit snacks, but Mikia shook her head and pointed to the box of the Keebler snack packs. Gwen nodded, handing her the small **purple **bag. They walked back into the living room, Mikia opening the bag eagerly and chomped down with aggression. Gwen laughed a little, being reminded of Ben again.

Within a minute, Mikia looked into the bag, pursing her lips.

"All done?"

She shook her head and passed the bag over. Gwen peeked inside, looking into the bag. There was one Fudge Stripe left. Gwen rose an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

An eager nod.

"Double sure?"

Two more nods.

"Alright, if you insist." Gwen took the last cookie and bit into it. It was sweet and chocolaty. She had an urge to grab a bag to herself. She resisted though, looking at Mikia. She was staring at the empty bag intently, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "What are you looking for?"

Mikia frowned. "There's an elf that should give me a cookie for giving you the last one. I'm gonna grab that elf and demand for more cookies." She cackled evilly, staring back at the bag.

Oh yeah. This girl was insane alright.

* * *

A/N: Oh YEAH. Most defiantly insane :P Love you Mikia! Read and Review :)


	17. Brown

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10. Period.

A/N: Ohhh first day of sophomore year was amazing xD I got the classes I wanted. Honors English has always been a favorite of mine, but it defiantly got better when I walked into the doors of my classroom. EVERY SINGLE FRIEND I KNEW AND LOVED WAS IN THAT ROOM. Almost. Except Brittany and Brooke. There's also WAY too many freshmen...at my bus stop last year, there were only six of us, being two freshmen, one sophomore, two juniors and one senior. Now? There's twelve freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and two seniors at my bus stop. Oh, and there are more stops by the way. Six to be exact. My bus is now officially a clown car :p Ha ha here's a chapter :D

Big Damn Table

17. Brown

Chocolate, russet, sepia, coffee and caramel. Just a few examples of the colors that I've found lingering in his dark **brown** eyes. Every stroke of light that caught his eyes showed me all the warm, comforting shades.

I found myself staring at his eyes, then catching myself, blushing when his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Something interesting you're looking at?"

I looked back down at my book that I had to read for summer reading. "Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. I had read it before, when I was 13. It was still always a good idea to refresh my memory and have something easy to turn in for my senior year. "Nothing. Just reading." I brought the book up to my face, trying to keep my concentration. Why was I _now _just noticing? I mean, I've been with him for, like, two years now? Why hadn't I focused on it until now?

Maybe it was because I was too absorbed on that god dang _body_ of his. His whole figure was perfect with well built muscles and he always had a chance to show it off, wearing muscle shirts, tank tops and anything that exposed his biceps and smoothed to his body so you knew that he had a six pack too. He wasn't crazy built like those weird, grossly orange muscle men you see on those Mr. Muscle magazines. His body was perfect and whenever I had the chance to brush my fingers against his skin...

Then there was his sarcastic humor. He always cracked a few jokes here and there, some of them totally cheesy and some of them directed to Ben. I always roll my eyes but I try and fight a smile. Kevin knows that it only encourages him more and he does it even more, trying to get me to crack and laugh.

There was his defenses. When ever I was caught of guard and had a gun/sword/possible deadly weapon pointing to me, Kevin was there to save me. Whenever I was knocked down, he made sure that the enemy got what he deserved, then picked me up again. Whenever I fell, I could count on being caught with his strong and capable arms. Whenever I put up a shield against a strong attack, my energy would be ebbing away. Kevin would be behind me, protecting me and whispering encouragements. "You're doing so good Gwen. Keep it up, don't push yourself. Ben is almost done with 'em..."

His kisses. Wither it be those soft, swift kisses on the cheek or those smothering, melt-worthy kisses on the mouth, it didn't matter. Every kiss that he delivered onto my skin gave me that rush that only he could give me. I felt a spark on my tongue, my heart leaping into my throat. Just a simple touch from those lips of his gave me the rush that I needed, my body always aching for more.

His hair. It was always untidy and messy, no matter what shampoo and conditioner that he used. I didn't mind it though. It was something that I could tangle my fingers in, something that I could hold onto.

His eyes...well, that was something that I began to learn and adjust to.

Another weakness that was casted upon me, something I knew that would never change.

Kevin and those brown eyes.

* * *

A/N: *sigh* After a reunion with three months of not seeing each other, my boyfriend and I saw each other again. We have sixth and seventh period together (geometry and honors biology, subjects I totally fail at...) but we didn't even kiss. At all. So my romantic level rates about a four right now :( Maybe tomorrow...? Review please!


	18. Black

Disclaimer: Don't Ben 10. At all.

A/N: Yey. Number two in one day :) PMS is controlling every sense of my well being, I swear...I feel like crying :p For no reason at all too...ha ha, MOTHER NATURE YOU CAN TAKE YOUR MONTHLY GIFT BACK! US GIRLS DON'T REALLY WANT IT! _Anyway_...well, here's Black. I don't want to do depressing, 'cause my hormones are on a roll right now O.O So...something a little unexpected...if I fail, just tell me so...Don't be harsh though. Please. Takes place in the future :)

Big Damn Table

18. Black

Kevin read the magazine intently with the TV buzzing about some car wax in the background. The magazine had glossy, fresh pages of hot rods and fancy cars that he could probably get if Gwen would let him. Then, of course, there was the whole thing of, "Is it necessary", "Maybe a two seat er won't be good enough for us later on" and so forth. He groaned lightly, hitting the back of head against the pillow, closing his eyes.

Thinking of the future was diffucult. Kids?

Gwen wanted to settle in. College was over now, the knots were tied and Gwen and Kevin had to confirm things with Plumber insurance coverage for family support. Until then, they had to remain abstinent before everything was figured out and Kevin was having the hardest time.

Patience only drove him so far. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help but kiss her or give her the lightest touch. A simple kiss on the shoulder or a back rub could lead to something pretty serious. Kevin had to keep under control, his teenager wants digging into that tough adult skin that people tried to keep on him. She teased, even when she didn't even realize it. He wanted to so, so badly...he craved her touch, her soft voice...he wanted it so badly.

So with that happy little thought, he let out a growl, jumping out of the bed. A splash of cold water on the face would do. So when he opened the door to the master bedroom, it was like a jinx slapped him across the face.

Gwen's lean frame was adorned with the tiniest **black **dress. Her long red hair flowed around her, her green eyes bright with excitement. She turned to him. "Coverage is good...Got a call from Magister Xene." She offered a small smile.

_Thank the Lord and the heavens above..._

* * *

A/N: Oh Kevin, you xD You always get a second chance...sorry, I only had ten minutes...REVIEW!


	19. White

Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Mind owns me. So yeah...

A/N: I just want to get this done without insane babbling. Period.

Big Damn Table

19. White

Gwen had received a call from Joel Tennyson, Grandpa Max's nephew. He said that he had news that could affect Plumber history even more than he had with marrying Camille, and making the Plumbers and Sludgepuppies allies. Gwen called Ben and Kevin, Kevin more than willing to drive them up to Joel and Camille's home that was two hours away from Bellwood.

As Ben rocked out to some song on his iPod, Gwen told Kevin about what Joel Tennyson and Camille Mann's relationship was like and how they married.

Kevin rose an eyebrow. "I thought the Sludgepuppies had a major grudge against the Plumbers."

"They did. Camille and Joel sought something else. They fell in love and they wanted to change things. So they got married." Gwen sighed happily, sinking into the leather seat. "It's great to know that what they did have the Plumbers at peace with an old enemy."

"Meh. Yeah, it's cool I guess." He made a face, teasing. "I think it sounds like some sorta cheesy movie. Like one of those old war movies."

"Have you ever watched those?"

"I've been forced to by my ma." The face he made was a little more serious this time. "I could practically feel the sap dripping from the TV. It sucked." He smiled, glancing at her. "Should have watched it with you. That way I could distract myself with some _real_ romance."

Gwen blushed, rolling her eyes a little. "Kevin, shh." She sharply pointed to Ben who was singing off-key to "California Girls" by Katy Perry. Kevin and Gwen exchanged a look, rolled their eyes then focused on the road again.

They finally arrived at a small rural society with clean, posh houses in an area called "Magnolia Peace." They were sepreated by each other by a twenty yards, having plenty of space. Once they arrived at Camille and Joel's house, they saw a little difference. It was a reddish-brown birck house with a golden number plate like all the others. There was a rosebush with **white** and yellow roses, the charm and beauty of them making this house different from the others.

Kevin pulled up onto the clear driveway, the garage door exposing a normal, friendly looking silver Honda Civic. Kevin snorted as they got out of the car. "The only car they have is a _Honda? _They have money for a decent Chevy Camaro '10."

"That's decent to you?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd say so, yeah."

Ben took the earbuds from his ears, tucking them into his pocket. "C'mon. They're waiting for us. Can't wait to see what's in store."

"I think I know what they're going to tell us," Gwen perked up eagerly, grinning. Kevin walked by her side along with Ben as they walked to the fancy glass double doors.

"What's that?"

"Not saying anything. It's obvious, but with you two, anything I think is obvious, you two have absolutely no clue."

"HEY!" the two boys protested in unison, jaws dropped.

Gwen laughed and rang the doorbell. Kevin and Ben muttered complaints then stopped as soon as they saw the frame of a body approach the doors. The figure opened the doors and appeared as a graceful young woman with long flowing red hair that drifted down below her waist. She smiled widely, her dark blue-violet eyes sparkling. The boys relaxed and Gwen smiled widely.

"Camille!" she gasped. "You're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you!"

She laughed, the sound husky and soft. "Thank you Gwendolyn. I have a little problem, worrying about aging."

Aging? Kevin looked at Camille and then Gwen, examining them up and down. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that Gwen and her future 20 year old self were standing right there. He cleared his throat, stepping forward. "I'm Kevin Levin."

"Oh, I've heard about you," Camille smiled. "My uncle-in-law Maxwell Tennyson has told me and Joel so much about you. Alot of good things in fact."

"Really?"

"Yes sir." She straightened up, a dazzling smile on her face. "Come in guys. You must be anxious to hear the news." She lead them in and Kevin looked around, amazed. Everything was so clean and simple with cherrywood drawers and pictures framing light blue walls. Everything was so...normal.

Once they walked into the living room, Joel was sitting on the couch reading a book. The coffee table was cluttered with other books, some open, some closed. The TV was programmed on some Discovery channel show. Kevin looked closely at Joel, jumping a little. Joel looked like an older version of himself...and like his dad. Broad shoulders, black hair, dark eyes and and strong figure.

Joel looked up, smiling. He put down the book and gave Gwen and Ben a big hug. "Oh, man...how are my cousins doin'?"

"Fourth cousins actually," Ben laughed. "But really good. What's the big news?"

Gwen looked at the books, grinning. She jumped up and down, her ponytail bobbing up and down with her. "I know!" She squealed, running to Camille. "Congratulations, both of you!"

Congratulations? Kevin and Ben looked at the books for themselves.

Baby name books. Well duh.

* * *

"You would not _believe _many phone calls we got!" Camille sighed, holding the fifth baby name book that she read that day. "My mom, my dad, Lucy...everyone! Even the Plumbers!"

Joel nodded. "Well, it's big news."

"Not many half breed Sludgepuppies exist," Gwen nodded as well. She stuck a Post-It note on a page. "How does this sound? Embrey Tennyson."

"Not bad Gwen," Joel said, looking over her shoulder. "Put that on the list."

For an hour, the gang got together to create baby names. As everyone talked about having a half breed Sludgepuppy, Kevin's mind was completely somewhere else, totally brain dead. What if he was going to marry Gwen and have a kid with her? Would it have the powers like its mom or dad? Or both? Would it be human, an Anodite, an Osmosian or a mix-mash of all of them? His stomach churned and he took a deep breath, trying to concentrate. Anything to distract him...

He flipped to the girls' side of the baby name book, getting to the "G"s. He looked for the name, and felt familiarity with the description.

_Fair, blessed, pure white_

As far as name desciptions went, that was pretty close. Gwen...she was as pure as white itself. Untouched and safe, untainted. She was perfect in everyway.

She was Gwendolyn Elizabeth Tennyson.

Fair, blessed and pure white.

* * *

A/N: Brooke: *glare* You suck at endings.

Me: I tried my best, and I didn't know how to end it...God why are such a DOWNER?

Brooke: Because I feel like it. Now make me a sammich.

Me: *sigh* Yes ma'am. *walks away*

Brooke: Review. It's the only thing that keeps her alive. She makes damn awesome sammichs.


	20. Colourless

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, 'cause my brain owns all. Frick.

A/N: FINALLY! Finally got a kiss :) It was short, like three seconds, but I'm happy 'bout it nonetheless. And guys, if you have any suggestions, do post them! I like a challange...well...it depends...nothing too crazy. Or M rated fics. I'm 15 here people. Just nothing crazy and sassy. Thanks guys :D Here you go...got inspiration from an argument my friends and I have had before during lunch. Hilarity ensued xD

Big Damn Table

20. Colourless

They were at their regular hot spot. This was a week before the disaster of new fame snatched Ben up, his identity hidden. Well...of course we all know that's not how it ends, right?

Anyway, Ben, Julie, Gwen and Kevin were laying on Kevin's car hood, smoothies clenched in hand. Ben, Julie and Gwen knew how Kevin was about his paint jobs. If a single drop of the sweet drink escaped from their cups and landed on the freshly dried paint, Kevin would throw a hissy-fit and blow into a full blown rant that would take Gwen twenty minutes to stop it. They chatted about their week, conversations ranging from school to other friends that weren't as close as these four were.

Once the converations ceased, Ben found another topic to confuse the other three. "Hey, you know how someone says that something is '**colourless**' right?"

The other three inwardly groaned. "What now Tennyson?" Kevin sighed, rolling his eyes.

Ben ignored the annoyance that Kevin held toward him, perking up and grinning eagerly. "I mean, everything has color right? Nothing can possibly be colourless."

"Except if something is clear," Julie shook her head. "That's colourless."

Gwen pursed her lips. She didn't want to get involved in Ben's antics, but there was a point that she wanted to make. "Ben is right. Everything has a color. If something is clear, it catches a color of something else. So it really isn't considered clear."

A long pause.

Kevin took the first words, his tone teasing and a little surprised. "You agreed with Ben?"

Julie sighed, rolling her eyes. With a long slurp of her blueberry smoothie, she added miserably, "I know where this is going..."

* * *

A/N: Ha ha poor Julie :P I know how she feels xD So, remember guys :) Review! And suggest somethings and I'll see if I can put it in :) Thanks guys :D


	21. Friends

Disclaimer: Never have never will. Fo sho.

A/N: Wanted to do something happy and cheerful...FRIENDS! Yey happiness :D

Big Damn Table

21. Friends

_How do I describe the relationship between Kevin and Ben? Well..._

_They're a lot more than just **friends**. Don't get me wrong. I am Kevin's girlfriend after all and being that, maybe I shouldn't have put it like that. Sounds really weird, now when I think about it. OK. Let's rephrase that._

_Kevin and Ben are more like brothers. They had a rough time when we all reunited as teenagers. I trusted Kevin more than Ben did, having to hear about Kevin's mistakes from Ben's mouth over and over again. He didn't want to see that good side that Kevin naturally possessed. Ben was stubborn and it took him more than just a few battles to see that good side that Kevin had. Once Ben saw Kevin doing well, he began to warm up to him. Then they started joking around and teasing. Ben and Kevin would get into little spats, but they grew over it over time and they became almost like brothers. Despite the arguments and the past that they shared, they are closer than any two friends that I know of._

_Well, and you may be questioning this. Things like this don't happen. Only in fairy tales. So what, a kid that had a murderous streak all of a sudden shows up five years, does a face heel turn, becomes the good guy and everything is happy? Well, it sounds unrealistic when people put it like that, but with these two, it just came along a lot faster than most would. _

_And for that, I'm so appreciative. In this world of chaos, aliens, destruction and lies, these two found themselves to be quite the pair. _

_Ben and Kevin? If you're reading this, don't make any snide comments or whatever. Because I know that deep down inside that you two really care for each other. Like brothers. Like family. I love you both and I'm so happy to know that you two aren't...well...trying to rip both of your throats out. _

Gwen sighed contently, closing her journal. She tucked the pen into the spiral, put the notebook on her desk and snuggled into her bed, smiling as she drifted off into sleep.

* * *

A/N: Mehhhh...I was thinking about doing a light Bevin with this one :l I didn't know what to do so...if any Bevin fans are reading this, I apologize! D: well, hopefully you guys will like this and review :) Lemme know what you think! And any suggestions...besides M. Again, 15 years old. My mind hasn't quite entered the gutter yet :p


	22. Enemies

Disclaimer: For the second time in one night...don't own. Anything.

A/N: Teehee...Julie vs. Elena :P I'm not a crazy rabid fan that hates Julie to the extreme and I'm not the protective BenxJulie shipper either that despises Elena. I'm in between about it...espicially when I hear that in future episodes, Ben starts to fall for a new girl...*Rant Mode* DAMMIT BEN, PICK ONE GIRL AND STICK WITH 'ER! MAN-WHORE! #$%*** Jezzum man! *sigh* OK. I'm done here...now with Enemies.

Big Damn Table

22. Enemies

I've been a girl that's not crazy about the celebrity couples. "Oh my God, they broke up?" "Oh, she/he doesn't deserve a boy/girl like him/her anyway." "Why is he going out with such a slut?" "Why is she going out with such a conceited asshole?" "He/She did what?" I ignored comments like that, focusing on my reality that focused on tennis. Then I met Ben Tennyson. He seemed like a normal teenage boy, playing the high school's soccer team goalie and MVP. He had OK grades and he was into video games. But when I went on that first date with him, learning that he could turn into all these different aliens...it changed my life.

I was involved with some missions, most of them revolving around my pet, Ship. Ship and I were always dragged into problems. One were the Forever Knights, Ben and Gwen's old bad guys that they had to deal with when they were ten years old. Then there were the Vreedles. Jesus the Vreedles...but I discovered that I had my own little weapon, Ship molding to my body and forming a total bad ass suit with laser trackers and some technology that were too dangerous to handle with the unexperienced. These were the easier days. Those were the moments I could handle, me trusting Ben as much as I could, loving the fact that I was the only human girl in his life that knew his secret. At least...that's what I thought.

When Ben was thrusted into the spotlight, more girls came into his life, some girls I never really even knew about like Kai Greene and Elena Validus, two childhood crushes that knew about his Omnitrix. Then there were girls that were famous before Ben's fame. Jennifer Nocturne, a popular actress that worked in various movies including Darkfall and a horror movie called The Messengers. She was beautiful, rich and America's Sweetheart. Other girls crammed into Ben's life, trying to get a number or a slight chance with him. Which wasn't happening.

I started seeing these girls as **enemies**. I wasn't like them. As the defintion goes, enemies are people that have directed hatred for something that the have or what they do/have done. These girls who had no idea who they were dealing with.

I'm not that shy girl that I used to be. Ben's life has brought me to realize my enemies are the main obstacle in my life. Nothing is worse that someone that tries to stand in your way.

So all those girls that think they have a chance?

Stuffing your bras.

Doing your hair.

Putting on thick makeup to conceal that you that you want to hide.

You girls are pathetic. Ben has loved me more than any of you.

So, don't try anything, alright? Unless you want my tennis racket up your ass.

* * *

A/N: Julie can be scary O.o Terrifying actually :p Haha review please!


	23. Lovers

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA does. And I don't own anything John Mayer. Like Galadriel Stineman said..."F*** ME!" Ha ha yeah, she said that :p Don't ask...

A/N: Lalala got this song stuck in my FREAKING head la di da...well, I figured this was something different. Lovers sounds something that belongs to the light M rated fic (knowing some minds in the world *eye roll*). So, pushing all that beside, I wanted to do something, revolving around with this song. This song is adorable in its own way...hmm...well, another thing. I know there are a lot of people (including us Gwevin fans) that are doing fanfics revolving around Gwen and Kevin's kids...*sigh* This is another one. Sorry if it annoys you 'cause I know how it could be annoying that people repeatedly do something. For that I apologize! Hope you can give me a chance and read this!

Big Damn Table

23. Lovers

_Fathers be good to your daughters_

_Daughters will love like you do_

_Girls will become **lovers** who turn into mothers_

_So mothers be good to your daughters too_

"Oh my God Jay! Would you cut that out? The song was nice, but around the thousandth time, I'm starting to really hate it!"

Jaylyn threw a glare at Delvin's direction, pen pressed against her crinkled paper strongly. "Delvin. Before I use this pen as a potential murder weapon, I suggest you shut up. Either that, or leave."

Delvin sighed, perching up on the counter next to her with his guitar propped up on his lap. "Good suggestion, but..." He smiled. "Nah. I like spending so much time with you."

Jaylyn rolled her eyes at him and sighed heavily. She paused, trying to had an Honors English assignment. Each student was given a theme, not even able to select their own. She was stuck with love, which wasn't her best subject. She wasn't the most romantic person in the world. She was like her dad, more into cars, fighting and sports. She only had her mother's face and eyes. She wasn't as sensitive, nice and sweet as her mother.

Still, nothing came up, making herself grow with uncontrollable frustration. With a shout, she threw the pen down with so much force that it snapped against the granite counter and blue thick ink splattered everywhere. Delvin let out an oath, jumping off the counter, his smoothly glossed guitar and white shirt stained with dark blue.

"Jesus Jaylyn!" he hissed. He removed the guitar strap off his body, grabbing a towel hanging off the oven handle and wetting it from water the sink. He threw a glare back at her as he frantically wiping at his guitar. "You know, you really need to control your anger!"

Jaylyn examined the damage. Her black tank top showed no sign of splatter and her gray skinny jeans were untouched by the ink. A large splatter pooled on the loose-leaf sheets of paper and the granite counter top. "Dad's chromosomes, not mine." She grabbed the wet towel from Delvin's hands that were trying to wipe the stain on his shirt. "You're making it worse Delvin, see?" She pointed at it, seeing a light blue largely spread around the dark blue streak. "Put the shirt in the dirty clothes." As she put the papers on the dining table and cleaned up the mess, Delvin sputtered.

"Dirty clothes? For Christ's sake Jaylyn, I have a date with Alexa in an HOUR. This shirt is Alexa's favorite!"

Right. Delvin's little girlfriend. The one with the insanly cheesy smile and the annoying pep squeak voice. Kevin and Gwen always said that they wanted her to call them by their first names, but she always called them by Mr. and Mrs. Levin. Then Alexa always tried to hug her, like they were sisters. Or friends, which Jaylyn knew damn well that they weren't. "So, what? Is that Alexa's shirt?"

"No."

"The way you make it sound, it must be hers. It's just some dumb white shirt."

"It's a _dress_ shirt," he corrected with a sniff. "And I was trying to make up a song for her."

"Within an hour?"

"I-_it comes naturally to me Jaylyn._ It can take me half an hour. But when I'm distracted, it's hard to do."

"It's just a shirt Dev," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Grow some, get over it, and pick a new shirt. If Alexa is your girlfriend, she wouldn't care about what clothes you wear or whatever."

He glowered at her. "Well, if your so keen on romance, how come you haven't been able to work on that project on yours? Having so much difficulty with that, and plus you can't even get a guy."

She felt herself heat up. She clenched her teeth, her fists straining at her sides. "I'm not like all those sappy girls. I'm not romantic, I'm not into skirts, not into romance novels or movies, I'm not as pretty as all the other girls, every guy thinks I'm just some emo freak...so shut the hell up Delvin. Shut up and just change your shirt, god damn pussy." She threw a towel at his head with as much force as she could muster and grabbed the papers from the table. She brushed against him as she ran from the room. She thought she could catch a glance of sadness in his eyes and her name rise to her lips, but she forced the thought away and slammed the door behind her.

Her eyes burned in humilation and frustration. She felt her body heat, her skin on fire. She squeezed her eyes shut. _Control, breathe, control, breathe..._she chanted in her mind, her blood pounding through her body and feeling sparks run up and down her spine. She couldn't handle it much more. She was going to lose herself.

She grabbed her cell phone, her hands glowing a deep pink that resembled her power. She pounded the number keys and her fingers dug into her palm as she waited. "Hello, Xavier? I need to talk to you. When? Anytime."

* * *

Xavier sat on his bed, reading through his history book for the umpteenth time that day. As he flipped through the pages, his heart raced a little.

Jaylyn Levin was visiting his house, and she sounded urgent. He took it as a good sign. What did his other friend Matt say? _When a girl sounds really urgent, that defiantly means that she wants you. Take it as a good sign. _He could only hope.

Xavier was Jaylyn's best friend. He has been for five years. Ever since they were ten years old, he was there to laugh with her, always there to comfort her. He knew the real her and fell in love with her for that. She wore a tough exterior, with her long raven hair and a shock of red as bangs, with dark eyes, black shirts, torn skinny jeans and combat, work boots. But she was nice to him, the smartest and most easy going girl he knew. He knew how her life was hard, both of their parents being Plumbers. But she had it hard, with both of her parents' powers that she had to have total and complete control over. If she lost her temper, things could get dangerous. There were a few moments when Xavier was put in a tough spot with her, but he understood her.

He hoped that she saw that. Every day, he wished that she could lean in close enough, able to see the true, bright colors in her dark eyes and a bright smile on her face, just to say how much she cares for him, how much she appreciated him.

But after seeing her being rejected by 99.9 percent of guys at their school, Jaylyn didn't want to get involved with any romance. So he knew that moment wasn't anytime soon.

But a guy could still dream right?

There was a short bang at his door, the door shaking at the effort. He jumped off the bed and dashed toward the door. Once he opened the door, his heart sank. She was crying, red streaks of tear imprints on her face running along with mascara. He was upset for two reasons. One, because she sure wasn't here to tell him that he loved her, because she looked like her heart was trampled on, torn apart, rolled over, crushed, put in a blender and shoved back into her body. Then there was also the fact that she looked so heartbroken and torn apart. Why would anyone do this to her?

"What's wrong Jaylyn?" he murmured, pulling her in. He closed the door behind them and grabbed the tissue box off his desk. He handed it to her and she took a tissue before snorting into it like a trombone. He waited patiently, sitting next to her on the bed. He rubbed his hand on her back and his mind drifted off before he knew it. How soft and thin her shirt was, hugging her skin. He could feel the dip of her back-He snapped out of it once she straightened up and giving himself a mental slap.

"What's wrong with me?" She let out a shakey laugh, throwing her arms up. She lept of the bed, pacing around the room. "Is there something wrong with me? Am I too ugly? Do I look unapproachable, is that it?"

"Woah, woah, woah!" He stood up, holding her shoulders. "What's going on? Who-"

"Not another guy rejecting me Xavier. It's just..." She rolled her shoulders, throwing her head back with a groan. "Delvin, he...he made a point. And I'm just confirming it. I'm freaking over nothing, coming to you for advice and just leaving you totally confused." She frowned deeply, searching Xavier's face. "And see? You are confused. Why am I such a dumb ass?"

What was this girl blabbing about? Was this girl serious? Freaking over nothing, sure. She was the best person that he knew. Nothing was wrong with her. But he began to see that one bad quality that she did have. She kept pushing herself aside, criticing herself about how emo she looked and how all the other girls were better than her. All the other guys rejected her because they were too thick headed, only seeing a girl's boobs and thinking about that one thing (and you know exactly what I'm talking about).

Jaylyn Elizabeth Levin was the best girl ever. He wanted her. Wanted her to see how much he cared for her, and how much she really did mean.

"-And I'm the worst romantic ever! I don't see where I get it from, 'cause both my mom and dad love each other, and my dad, he can be all romantic without even trying, even with him being a total guy. And what's worse is-"

"Jaylyn."

"What?" she shouted, glaring at him. She breathed hard, nostrils flaring. He let her catch herself, relax into his hold on her shoulders. She softened up, her frown still on her face. "Oh, Xavier. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." His heart wrenched in his chest. He's always wanted to say that, and he finally did. He watched a confused look etch her face and then her eyes widened. "Jaylyn. You're the best girl I know. And it's so absolutely stupid that these guys don't like you. Too thick headed...a bunch of dumb asses."

She smiled. "You think that, huh?"

"Of course," he breathed. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingertips burning from the contact of her soft skin. "You need to stop worrying about useless things that you make up about how like you're emo or whatever. That's just stupid crap Jaylyn. You're the best. Ever."

"Thanks." She pulled him into a hug and his heart lept into his throat, catching him in surprise. He relaxed though. This was the real thing. She appreciated him and this was a way of showing it. Once she pulled away, he caught her. Those true colors in her eyes, warm and comfort in a deep brown color. Her lips were curved in a nice smile, her pink lips smooth and flawless like glass.

Without even noticing his body leaned in, a magnet being caught onto her. He was wrapped up her arms, gentle and secure. He wanted to be there at all times, feeling her touch...

Then she pulled away, slipping from his grasp. He blinked a couple times, seeing Jaylyn at the door. She was grinning, her whole face lit up like a child Christmas morning. "Thank you Xavier. For everything." And with that, she walked away from his door and there was another door shut. Then silence.

He felt his body lighten a bit, but still kept under. He sighed heavily, falling onto the bed. He let himself sink on the comforter, muttering the words that he tried and fail to say.

_I love you Jaylyn Levin._

* * *

_A/N: Poor Xavier ha ha :p So yep. Thought this was good enough. Not my favorite but still...it took a long time to write this! SO I hope you like it :) And I feel like doing this in italics 'cause I don't feel like changing the font. NOT wasting the time. It likes being stupid with me Dx Ha ha so, hope you review? Best, worst, in the middle? What do you think? And suggestions are much appreciated. -Brandy :D_


	24. Family

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, 'cause my brain owns everything. Even Ben 10. Ok, no, not really.

A/N: Falalala...still have "Daughters" stuck in my head. I hate you John Mayer. Why is that song so cute and catchy? Rawr. And Brooke, if you are reading this, this will SLIGHTLY piss you off :) I love doing Gwevin...ever since I wrote my first Gwevin fic I haven't stopped! But if you really want (like, begging, getting on your knees and kissing my toes wanting), I can do one :) NO M RATED ONES. Sorry. Not my thing. So anyway, directed to my readers reading this right now, I wanted to do this for awhile, being that I experienced my baby brother's birth. I love him...and to the people concerned, no. I did not see it from the front. I was in the back of the room on the stool, trying not to faint :p

Big Damn Table

24. Family

One centimeter. Two centimeters. A few hours later and there was no other response.

Gwen sat on the hospital bed, tubes and needles surronding her. A computer screen was above her head, spikes and lines showing signs of the babies' movements. I sat on the ice cold metal stool next to her, holding her hand as gently as I could. She looked so weak and fragile, the pain medication dulling the pain to a low burning sensation. She kept her eyes closed, the only sign that she was only slightly in comfort. Every once in awhile she would gasp in shock and her eyebrows would knit together. Her other hand rested on her swollen stomach that was wrapped in a thin powder blue blanket. I shivered. Was she cold?

"Nurse?" I whispered.

She looked up from her clipboard, raising an eyebrow. "Yes? Is there something that you need."

"No, it's not what I need. It's what she needs. Can she get another blanket? A thicker one than this?"

She sighed heavily, rubbing her temple. It pissed me off. Was it such a big deal? "I'm not an assistant Mr. Levin. I'm only here to check on the birth process. And since the last contraction was an hour ago, I suggest you drive back home and fetch a blanket yourself, since there's plenty of time. Now if you'll excuse me..." She walked out of the room, brushing past another nurse. "Clare, fetch a blanket for the poor girl in there, please. Apparently it's important." The nurse looked at me and smiled.

"Don't worry about her. She tends to be this way."

"Hopefully she doesn't stay that way. She needs to get that clipboard out of her ass and stop being so uptight about-"

"Kevin, please."

I jumped in surprise. Gwen looked up at me, a small smile on her face. "Oh, hey..." I sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. "You alright?"

She winced. "Not really. Jaylyn and Delvin really want to stay inside. Though it's nice to have them close, I'm pretty sure my bladder doesn't want to be used as a trampoline anymore." She sighed, smiling. She rubbed her stomach slowly and tenderly. Icouldn't help but smile with pride.

"I can't believe it. Us, having a **family **together." I was scared to death of the news that I was given, but over the months, I grew accustomed to it. Being a father was...something I never thought about before I fell in love with Gwen. I didn't have anyone to care for, no one to turn to. But when I fell in love with Gwen and when we started dating, I was always concerned. What if Gwen was pregnant and gave birth to a mutant baby? What if I couldn't help the baby out, be a father like my Dad was to me. And there was the concern of not being there, not able to take care of my family.

But I knew now that I was going to be the loving father that my kids wanted me to be, want to have. Someone to support them, challenge them, encourage them and be there when they're at their toughest times. If something did happen to me, they could grow up knowing that I was there for them and loved them no matter what.

The others were out, busy with work. Ben and Julie were stationed on another planet with Kenny and Max was at a Plumbers meeting with other important officals. Gwen's parents and my mom were in a hotel across the town. The other reason why there weren't anyone else with us was because there was an "only one guest" policy, which was pretty damn stupid if you ask me. Shouldn't a family see the birth of another family member without any problems?

The other nurse that was kinder than the nurse we were orignally assigned to, walked into the room, holding three blanket, two thin ones and one thick one. I stood up from the stool and took it from her, thanking her. "Wish I had you here to help us out. You're a lot more nicer than the other one was."

"Thank you, but I'm just merely doing my job. If there's anything else you need, ask your nurse for Anna." She walked away from the room, giving us a short wave before tending to someone else.

"She's nice," Gwen said, taking the blankets gingerly. I drapped them over her and she relaxed a little, even with needles inserted into her skin. "Thank you. Hope that this isn't-" She cut off and opened her mouth in a silent scream. It wrenched at my heart and I grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

"Babe, you alright?"

"No, I-" She threw her head back, gritting her teeth. "They're-Oh my God Kevin...please, get the nurse, I-" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Get the nurse please...please Kevin!"

She sounded so frantic and in pain that I leapt up from the stool and made it out in record timing. It was all a blur. I grabbed at the nurse and ran back to the room to find Gwen screaming in pain, tears streaking her face. I ran to her side, holding her hand. "It hurts so much Kevin...p-please tell me th-that it'll end soon..."

"It will babe, it will. I promise."I kept trying to tell myself that, trying to keep under control. Our nurse called over others and she looked at me in shock.

"This is impossible...this has never happened..."

"What? What's never happened? What the hell is going on?"

The nurse exchanged glances and worried looks with the others and looked straight at me. "She's at six centimeters. The first baby is going to be born. So fast too..."

Gwen looked at me with wide, watery eyes. "Oh my God, what? Are you sure? Please tell me..."

"I...I guess so." As all the workers prepared for the birth, I held Gwen's hand, preparing for the event that I knew that was going to change my life forever.

* * *

A/N: That's all folks! Ha ha, I wanted it to end there, so sorry if it was a crappy ending ^^; If you wondering why the baby's contraction went by so fast, it was all on the alien genes. Poor Gwen...REVIEW PLEASE!


	25. Strangers

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10.

A/N: GOD DAMN YOU MICROSOFT! You and your updating software...which I can't download. Damn. My computers hate me...*cries*

Big Damn Table

25. Strangers

Remember when your parents said to never trust a **stranger**?

You were probably two years old, which is what my parents did. They started out when I was small, wanting to teach me life lessons as I was still trying to figure out how to walk and talk. They pushed it, always saying that no matter how innocent and harmless they may seem, they could be hiding something and you could get hurt...or worse.

I've known that, fighting aliens and crooks. You can't trust basically anyone without getting stabbed in the back. And I mean that literally. You couldn't walk outside by yourself in the city with a last name of Tennyson without good fighting skills and/or a weapon. I couldn't trust anyone but my family. I always had to watch myself, look over my shoulder. When someone was whispering to someone else with my back turned, I can't help but feel suspicious. What was that person hiding? What did they have to tell so secretly to another, that you couldn't hear?

Call me a hypocrite all you want, but Kevin was an exception. Yes, he used to be a murderous child that wouldn't stop for anyone. He would kill people to get what he wanted. He didn't care, nothing else mattered. But he grew up, knowing those weren't the best choices to make. So when he joined me and Ben, I accepted the change. I accepted him fully.

Michael Morningstar? Now see, that's what I don't get. How could I let this guy into my life? I mean, I had no idea who he was, never heard of his name in the Plumber business before. I didn't even know if this was really even a dangerous guy. I was just being a prissy bitch, whether I hate to admit that or not. I only brought him into my circle of trust, just to prove my point with Kevin. If he didn't date me soon, I wasn't going to be able for him anymore.

I got what I wanted. I pissed him off.

And for what? I got this Ken doll with sparkles sucking the life out of me. When I realize it, I know that he was putting me under his spell, releasing chemicals through contact with his hand, drawing me in even more. I was so close to losing myself. I almost died, because I trusted and used a total stranger.

Now this guy is haunting me down, always able to pop up behind me and use me again. He was out for revenge. I was his target, and I was totally screwed.

Just over some stupid mistake with a stranger.

See? Listen to your parents. Don't trust any strangers, no matter what. As harmless as they seem, you never know what they could be hiding. And you could put your life at risk.

* * *

A/N: Feeling like crap. Urgh. Microsoft pissing me off. Can't really do much except for working with the files that I've saved onto my Document Manager. *sigh* So I don't know how long I can keep going with this. Review please!


	26. Teammates

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA does. Like, seriously? I've only mentioned this a hundred times already!

A/N: La di da :) I don't know why I'm all musical of a sudden...maybe because I've listened to music _WAY_ too much. Ha ha :p Well, another Ben and Elena snippet :) I know that No Name said that he/she liked Ben and Elena...or was that someone else? Can't remember :l Well, if no one's gonna review, this is gonna go slow...so ONE review would be nice please...

Brooke: Ignore her. She's desperate.

Me: Shut up! Leave me alone!

Brooke: Oh, what was that? I don't speak idiot.

Me: OK, YOU KNOW WHAT? *rolls up sleeves* Read it guys. This could get ugly...

Big Damn Table

26. Teammates

Elena was different than all the other girls. No, she isn't an alien. She's all human. She is a Plumber, but that's not the case here. No way.

All of the other girls at my middle school wanted to "mature" and become "young women." How stuffing their bras and putting on make up was considered as becoming a lady, I don't know why. They were annoying and they always tried to hard to get a guy's attention. If anything, I wanted to be single. I had too much bad experience with girls from the past as a kid. I wanted to ignore girls, well, until high school at least. Get out of freaking middle school, where girls just tried to hard and met girls that had the effortless ability of being the girl that every guy wanted.

When Elena moved to Bellwood, it was like a slap to the face.

She was pretty by just herself. Light tan skin, brown eyes and dark black hair that past her shoulders a little. She didn't wear any make-up, just a pair of jeans, a Paramore tour t-shirt and some sneakers. When she walked in the classroom, the effects didn't get me until she sat in front of me. When we began to break the ice a little, she admitted that she played soccer. It was like the angels began to sing their chorus and floated me to heaven.

_Thank God. A girl that can play soccer._ My soccer team had a girl dry-spell for years, almost a decade. I just crossed my fingers, hoped that the girl was as great as she seemed and asked her to tryout at practice after school. After that only class with her, I kept wishing to myself that this girl was incredible. If she was then...well...I didn't know what I'd do.

When she arrived, all the other guys sneered at her and I stood by to support her. After a few insults hurled at her, she had about enough and proved to all of us that she wasn't going to be intimidated by a bunch of guys. She made me her goalie protecter and faced against the toughest guy on our team. And she proved herself even more. He didn't even get past her, even when she let him kick the ball first. She smoothly caught the ball and dashed to the other goal. She waited for the guy to catch up, then flipped, kicking the ball into the net with ease. I couldn't move for a moment.

This girl was incredible. I was glad that I didn't doubt her at all. After I helped her onto her feet, the coach showed himself and wanted to hug Elena. Apparently Elena was the exact person we needed on the team. Elena smiled at me knowingly then gave me a small shake on my shoulder. "Thanks. For letting me show myself."

"No, thank _you_. Without you moving here, this team would have no girls forever, unless there was some sort of miracle." I paused. "Well, not that it's bad to not have any girls...I mean, I...crap. I can't speak."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever. It's cool. Lemme call my dad and tell him the big news." She dashed to her bag and pulled out her cell phone. As she called her dad, the guys watched her with interest and a little bit a curiousity. I rolled my eyes. First, they get owned, then they keep eyeing her like a dog and a juicy T-Bone.

"You brought her 'ere, eh boy?"

"Uh, yeah coach," I nodded. The coach gave me a pat on the back and I smiled. "Did I do well?"

"Hell yes son. You kiddin' me? That's the best improvement I've seen. No offense of course. You're a great goalie, it's just-"

"Crappy defense and offense. Understandable coach." We exchanged grins and he rustled my hair.

"That's my man. Now you kids head for the showers. It's gettin' late."

I nodded and told the other guys this. They all head to the locker room and I watched as Elena put her cell phone in her backpack. I realized something. "No cleats?"

Elena looked down at her sneakers and shrugged. "Don't need 'em. Too expensive for some spiky shoes. I can handle my leverage with any surface. I'm totally fine." She threw her bookbag over her shoulder with a smile. "Hey, uh...not to be weird but...maybe we should hang out some time. After school." She paused and my heart stumbled a beat. "Not as a date or anything."

"Oh, yeah, totally understandable. I know. You need to get to learn your new town. I totally-"

"Don't say 'understand.' That would be, like, the tenth time I've heard you using that."

I blushed. "Really?"

"Yeah. I totally understand though." She smirked at me, then walked away with a wave. "Bye Ben! Thanks again, for everything!"

I shouted back a "you're welcome" and head back to the locker rooms.

I know now that I did have a silly little crush. I got my heart broken, again, when Elena up and left Bellwood without a word. I went single and had a second chance-or third-with Julie Yamamoto. I've screwed up so may times with her, but I've learned from my mistakes.

I still remember Elena Validus as not only a crush. She was a friend. A strong girl that wasn't afraid to speak her mind. A MVP soccer player for our school's team. A Plumber's Kid.

And most importantly, a **teammate. **

* * *

**A/N: The end :) Cheesy ending, I apologize. And I had that same "I understand" problem. It annoyed alot of people, but I learned to grow over it. Now it's Ben's turn to suffer xD Ha ha, well, hope you guys review! PLEASE!**


	27. Parents

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10. Never have, never will. Sadly.

A/N: Yes! Dwayne answered my questions. :) One was me asking him how long it takes to edit an episode and he said it takes a few days. And I asked to confirm that Gwen and Kevin met again between Ben 10 and Alien Force, just to confirm it. At first he answered that they saw each other alot and became close friends, then I got confused and asked him about the first episode of Alien Force. I mean, they saw each other all the time, then they get all googly eyed at each other? But then he's all like, "My mistake, I read that as Ben and Gwen. Gwen and Kevin saw each other during the five years, but not regularly, and it had been a while." Ha ha :P But it's still pretty awesome, knowing that they saw each other again! Then there was another question that someone asked (don't remember who) about Kevin seeing the movie Princess Bride ("My name is Kevin Levin. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"), but Dwayne said that he never saw the movie, but his mother read it to him when he was a kid :) Awwww...Now I wanna change the idea :p Nah, maybe later...

And to Twikadevra, I can try to do a sequel to it :) Try...hmmm...well, until I can figure everything out at least :)

Brooke: God damn son of a bitch...BRANDY WRITE THE STORY ALREADY!

OK, fine...

Brooke: BTW, I totally kicked her ass last chapter. *smug* She just didn't want to admit that.

...I'm going to kill you.

Big Damn Table

27. Parents

I sat there on the plastic covered couch, the plastic crinkling under my weight as I shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. More like their glare, actually. They were boring their eyes into my skin. Even with my gaze averted, I could feel their eyes, watching every sign of discomfort and uncertainty that I was showing to them. They were feeding off my misery...

"So. Kevin," her dad began, clearing his throat, no need to continue the suffering. "What was so important that you wanted to talk about this morning?"

I gulped, feeling that hard lump in my throat. I wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. When I did call them in the morning, I was pretty confident about myself. I had thought about it a lot, knowing what I was going to say to them. I practiced in the mirror, practicing my facial expression, making up their reactions...When I was sure enough about myself, I gave them a call and drove to Gwen's house.

Now I sat there on the couch in front of Gwen's parents, Gwen not being home because of some FBLA (**A/N: Future Business Leaders of America :D It's awesome!**) meeting over the weekend. I was really worried, wondering what they really would think about me.

"Um..." My voice came out thickly and choked up and I cleared my throat. I was never so nervous in my life. "You see, I wanted to talk...about Gwen."

Her father stared at me, a hint of a smirk on his face. He was one scary dude, even if it was just Gwen's dad. But that's the thing. This was _Gwen's Dad._ "I bet you do." He leaned forward, picking up his mug of coffee. He took a long, finger-tapping-against-knee-impatient drink of it before putting it down back on the coffee table. He laid back, hands folded in lap. Gwen's mother eyed me, her dark blue-greenish eyes dead set on me. I looked down, swallowing down the lump in my throat.

"I wanted to talk about Gwen...because I know that I may not have the best influential guy in her life."

Gwen's mom sighed heavily, leaning in and making me jump a little. "Listen...Kevin. Gwen is a very intellegent young woman. She has wonderful grades, an excellent background...she always has a smile on her face. Ever since we've heard of her alien fighting, she is gone longer than anymore than we both thought she'd be. And when we knew that she was with you most of the time, well...we grew a bit worried for our daughter. It's a **parent** thing. We worry for Gwen because we want what's best for her." She gave me a small smile that made me relax a little. Gwen's mother wasn't as dangerous as Gwen''s father was. She wasn't exactly as open as my Mom was, but she was a little comfortable.

"And I know that Gwen does care about you a lot. Whenever we did try to talk about you, whenever we tried to push her away...she would say that you were different from the other guys. She says that the only reason why you have such a..._reputation_, is because of you having a troubled past. She didn't get into detail but...your father is deceased correct?"

"Yes ma'am." My voice was calmer than my thoughts. "But you see...he doesn't really...he didn't cause that past. I did. I made those stupid mistakes and I...I had Gwen to save me. She helped me redeem myself. She helped me become a better person. I'm not coiffed, not a perfect guy, but...I'm a better person. And I hope that you respect that fully Mr. and Mrs. Tennyson."

I waited there, praying to God that they did. "And, um...I really do love her."

Her dad turned to me, eyes flaring. Then he calmed down a bit. "That's a very strong thing to say about my daughter."

"I do though sir. I really do."

"I'm not sure that I understand you Kevin. I'm sure that I never will be able to."

I sighed heavily. "Not a lot of people do. Except for Gwen..." I trailed off, shaking mt head. "Mr. Tennyson, I love your daughter. I hope that she loves me with the same compassion that I feel." Woah. Compassion? That was a new word... "And...I hope Mr. Tennyson that you let my daughter and I keep this relationship strong. And I hope that one day in the future that...I could be...your..."

He did the one thing that shocked me the most. "OK, let's not get into the marriage subject son. You're still 17."

I blushed. "Yes sir."

"I do believe that you can be the best," he nodded, smiling. He shook his head. "To be honest, you are one of the most sincere people I have ever met."

"Seriously?" It couldn't be helped. I couldn't believe it. Was this really Gwen's dad?

"Mmhm." Then he turned really serious, Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jerkyl in one swift change. "But if I hear that one 'p' word coming from either of your lips...you will be scarred. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir." He sent me on my way and I ran like hell to the car. That "P" word was a word that I knew was going to be subject that was going to be brought up at A LOT of dinner discussions with the parents. Yikes.

* * *

A/N: And I hope you realize the "P" word is pregnant :P REVIEW PLZZ!


	28. Children

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 D:

A/N:Welllll whaddya know. Insanely bored outta my mind. Well, this oughta cure it :) Another Mikia story!

Big Damn Table

28. Children

"For once, I won't be the only one baby-sitting her."

"Is she that bad?"

"No, not really."

"Then why do you sound so relieved about it?"

Gwen sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She made a face when the ponytail loosened and she pulled the hair tie from her hair to redo the hairstyle again. "I just wanted to work with someone. She's better, now that we know each other a bit more. But still, children are hard to handle."

"It's not a baby Gwen," Kevin smiled, rolling his eyes. "Shouldn't be that hard."

Gwen glared at him. "Have you ever baby-sat a toddler before?"

Kevin pursed his lips, frowning. "Nope."

"Then shush."

He sighed, shaking his head. "It won't be all that bad, I'm telling ya. **Children **are easy to control."

"You want to bet on that?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

"OK. So I've been wrong before."

Gwen and Kevin laid in a heap underneath the wild child, Mikia, being forced down even with her small size. She was cackling with laughter, tugging at Kevin's hair. "Why do you have long hair _Kelly?"_

"OK. That's it. No more Mr. Nice Guy." He reached his hands up off the floor and grabbed Mikia's sides. Mikia squealed as he began to poke her sides and she rolled off, letting Kevin and Gwen have room to breathe. Gwen looked up at Kevin, red hair in her face. She blew at the strands hanging in her face then brushed them away. She smirked at him and he sighed. "Yeah. I know. You were right. Again. For the billionth time in a row."

Gwen laughed, shaking her head. She picked up Mikia, who seemed to be shockingly calm now, and gave her a stern look. "Is that any way to treat a guest Mikia?"

"No Gwen." Mikia looked down, fiddling with the string bow that was strewn into the top of Gwen's shirt. "I'm sorry."

Gwen smiled gently, brushing back a few stray curls from Mikia's face. Kevin looked at the two in shock. "OK, excuse me, but...how did you just calm her down so easily?" He had to know. That kid tackled them to the ground the instant her parents had left the house, then all of a sudden she was Little Miss Sunshine? The hell?

"Magic." Gwen gave him a small wink over her shoulder as she walked to the stairs. "How's a bath sound?"

"Yeah!"

Kevin watched as Gwen walked up the stairs and waited for the sound of a door shutting. With a sigh of relief, he made his way to the couch and plopped down, remote in his hand. He flipped through all the channels that the TV had to offer, which was annoyingly pointless because out of all the 800 channels, there were only sport game recaps and some stupid Spongebob marathon. He got up from the couch, bored out of his mind. Then he paused, looking at the stairs. Was it safe?

He head upstairs and directed to the sound of splashing and two different toned giggling. One was spastic and bubbly, while the other was much softer and enjoyable to listen to. He smiled and knocked on the door. "Everyone decent in there?" he called.

"Yes. There's alot of bubbles in here, don't worry." Kevin rolled his eyes, chuckling and entered the room, only to have hot water and bubbles splashing his face. He blinked through the foam, smirking when he saw Gwen bending over, laughing with bubble and water soaked hands. Mikia was cackling evilly, a Santa bubble beard on her face. Kevin couldn't help but smile at the scene.

After wiping his face, Kevin sat on the toilet as Gwen sat on the ledge of the bathtub, washing Mikia's hair. Mikia was calm and relaxed, leaning into Gwen's hands as she covered a naked Barbie doll with bubbles. Kevin watched Gwen, taking in Gwen's soft smile and her laughter when Mikia showed the Barbie doll to her. Kevin smiled at the scene and grabbed a large towel for Mikia when Gwen unplugged the drain. The bubbles still hid Mikia's body when he handed Gwen the towel. Gwen threw the towel around Mikia's shoulders and picked her up, drying the bubbles off of her body.

"Kevin, can you grab the nightgown that's on the bed in her room? It should be there." Gwen took the underwear off the counter and Kevin walked out. Mikia's room was a shocking pink and purple, girly things everywhere. He grabbed the frilly light pink nightgown of the bed and went back into the room. Mikia was in her underwear, but it wasn't too bad. It's not like she was a grown girl or anything.

Gwen slipped the nightgown over Mikia's head and they all headed downstairs for a snack. After drinking her cup of milk, Mikia was knocked out instantly like someone slipped something in her drink. She was tucked in next to Gwen and Kevin, Kevin's arm wrapped around Gwen and Mikia. Kevin tipped his head on the top of Gwen's as Mikia snored softly. "So. I was half right."

"I'm more experienced than you," Gwen whispered, smiling. "So what you did was just merely assisting me."

"Either way, it was better than you made it sound. I mean, the introduction wasn't so great but..."

"Yeah. I know." Gwen looked up, smiling. "So, the way you make it sound, you really want kids don't you?"

Kevin sighed, blushing. "OK. I already talked to your dad before. Let's just say that we don't want to cross that conversation ever again..."

* * *

A/N: Brooke, it's not a Bevin, I know. SOON! EVENTUALLY! STOP MESSING WITH MY HEAD! Ha ha, review plz :D


	29. Birth

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10. Never going to, sadly... :(

A/N: I FEEL SO BAD! So sorry Brooke...ugh. I forgot that her birthday's on the sixth and she's upset because not a lot of peoplremembered...including me. SO I have a surprise for her coming up...any Bevin fans in the house that can help me out? Ha ha :p She may be reading this right now, when I think about it...so Brooke if you're reading this, I gotta a surprise for youuuu :) But this isn't the surprise. Later on Brooke. I promise xD So, "Countdown" made me cry :P It was really touching, especially at the end :) I asked Dwayne if there were any kids that were resulted from two different half-breeds, but he didn't answer yet...hopefully he does :) This is a sequel to chapter 24, Family.

Big Damn Table

29. Birth

I remember every detail of the moment when Kevin was born. His **birth **was something that I never thought could be so beautiful, so exciting. I know that Olivia wasn't having the best time, giving birth to a seven pound baby, but afterwords, nothing could possibly describe her face without making an understatement. The only description that I could come up with is that she looked so serene. Her long black hair flowing past her shoulders, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead and a small, tired look in her eyes, all glowing with so much serenity. When the nurse gave us our child and Olivia was given the clothed bundle of joy, she began to cry.

A birth happened every day, so people may not be surprised, passing off a small little, "Oh, congratulations with your child." But me being not like most other people, I react differently.

A life is always something special. Something that exists in this universe, alive and able to feel everything in its surroundings. Able to touch, feel, taste, hear and smell what is in its surroundings. Sense emotions that were as pure and sweet as love and happiness. I never want for Kevin to feel sad or angry, but it just proves that this child is very much alive.

Dear Kevin. Understand me. Your birth was something so surreal and unimagainable. I don't know if you'll be able to listen to me, or I may not be around, but...when you're going to have a child, I hope that you feel the same way that I did when you were born. Something so innocent and serene, being there to experience a life that you have created with someone that you love...it's a beautiful thing.

* * *

Kevin's POV

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God..." Gwen chanted, squeezing my hand tight. I could feel my knuckles being pressured with so much force they could be crushed into dust. I didn't pay very much attention to it though. All I could pay attention to was Gwen screaming out some creative swearwords of her own as the nurses and the doctor prepared for the birth. I could feel my body starting to become clammy, my eyes shifting everywhere.

"Dear Lord, Christ and all the angels, sweet Mary and Joesph, Jesus-" Gwen cut off with a sharp gasp of pain, glaring at me. "Hey. Want to give birth to our kids?"

I gave a nervous chuckle. "I think that you have it all under control babe. Don't worry." _Please have it under control, please have it under control, oh please, oh please, oh please..._

"Alright now," the nurse murmured underneath the surgical mask, her eyes softening a little. "Now Gwen, sweetie, we need you relax your muscles. Too much tension could make this more painful and difficult."

"There are **two **babies that I'm giving birth to," Gwen hissed as an assistant gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. I followed suit, kissing Gwen on the cheek.

"Gwen, listen to the nurse. She knows what she's doing. We may not all know how much pain you're feeling, but we know that we need to have these babies out as fast as you can manage. They want to see their Ma."

She gazed up at me, pain still in her eyes, but having a look of pure innocence in her eyes, something that completely took my breath away. She smiled. "You think so?"

"Yeah." I gave her another squeeze and laid her back. The nurse gave the instruction for her to push and Gwen's hand squeezed mine even harder. My pinkie finger's middle sent a shock of pain all over my body and I winced. She was more in pain than I was. I got over the broken finger as I watched the first baby being born. All I kept hearing was "Push sweetie, c'mon. Good girl. Keep it up. One more...one, two, three...and relax." After a few minutes, my heart was about to explode out of my chest.

"It hurts so much Kevin," she whimpered, her eyes tightly shut.

It wrenched at my heart suddenly, tugging at the strings. I wanted to end that pain, but I knew that the children we were waiting for were pretty impatient to come out too. "Come on babe. You can do this. I know you can. You're a strong woman." She nodded, pushing and pushing and pushing until...

_Pop! _

Out comes the first baby. The doctors quickly clean the baby up, cut the umbilical cord, putting the baby on the scale. The baby begins to cry, surroundings different from the surroundings it used to be in. Gwen cries with our child, smiling and laughing. I felt my eyes burn.

My baby. My child. My life.

Before I could let a single tear escape, the doctors immediately prepped up for the next one. Gwen went through the same pain, though this went by a lot faster than before. It was amazing, how much Gwen put into it, seeing that she had done it before, and then she can do it again. When the last baby came out, the connection of its cord snipped, Gwen cried out.

"Gwen, what's wrong?"

"They're...they're gone. They're not attached to me anymore..." she murmured. She clinged onto my shirt, hysterical tears drenching her cheeks. "The connection's gone...and...I..." Her eyes fluttered, shoulders slumping. "Kevin...I'm so sleepy..." She yawned.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Go on. Go to sleep. You deserve some rest."

"Sure, sure..." Then she fell to sleep in my arms, our babies being examined and tested. I gazed at them, trying to see the forms of their bodies. They had tiny hands, fingers, feet and toes. I could've sworn that one of them waved at me. I smiled, leaning on Gwen's head.

I would met my babies soon. But now that my children were finally born, there with me and safe and secure, I knew that we had to soon figure out the futures of all four of our lives.

* * *

A/N: SO YEAH. :D Ha ha, well, didn't know how to end it. Kinda late :p I feel like taking a serious nap right about now. *yawn* Well, Big Damn Table is gonna be a little held back because I'm working on a little somethin, somethin different. It should be interesting...REVIEW PLEASE!


	30. Death

Disclaimer: Never owned it. Never will. Damn you MOA...

A/N: SO. I did the Bevin fanfic and Brooke is happy :D And for that, that's all I really wanted :) And thanks to the people that actually read it! I looked at the traffic for it and there were a lot of people that read it, giving it a chance. If you're a Bevin fan (or a Gwevin fan that can tolerate it, like me) go on and read Runaway! Let me know what you think :D So, this one is "Death." Sounds depressing but, for this one I was inspired by some events that were pretty freaking hiliarious. Greatly inspired xD So here you are :)

Big Damn Table

30. Death

Ben was about to experience something that was going to be the **death **of his dignity. Or what was left of it. It's sort of like the half of a pea...pretty tiny.

"OK, so what are you showing me now?"

Kevin smirked, typing in the website on Ben's computer. "We're home alone right?"

"Uh...yeah?" Ben rose an eyebrow at his fellow ex-con friend, a little curious-and scared-with Kevin's intentions. "Why...?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just nothing. OK, have you ever watched 2 Girls, 1 Cup?" Kevin asked, sitting back. Ben looked at the website carefully, his mouth gaping a little. There was a banner of a naked woman's chest.

"Dude, are you showing off porn?" He made a face. "Dude! You're so sick! Does Gwen have any idea what you're doing? I hope not. Poor cousin of mine..."

Kevin laughed, shaking his head. "Well, it's not really considered porn. Just more of a...horror film to be exact."

Ben perked up. "I like horror movies."

"OK, then you may like this." Kevin raised his finger over the touch pad of the laptop. "Ready? It's really gross."

"Dude, horror movies are meant to be gross. Blood and guts everywhere, that sorta stuff."

"Whatever man," Kevin said shaking his head. "Oh, hold on." He whipped out his cell phone. "OK, Ben ready to watch 2 Girls, 1 Cup?"

Ben nodded eagerly. "Yes! Get on with it already!"

-20 Seconds Later-

"EEWWWWWWWWW! WHAT THE-OH GOD NO! NO NO NO NO NO NOOOO! CHRIST HAVE MERCY-AH! THAT'S JUST-"

Ben's screams could be heard all over the neighborhood. What made Ben, the hero of the whole universe, the boy that's saved the universe from total genocide, domination, wars between planets and total destruction, made him react in such a way?

Believe me my friends. Once you see 2 Girls, 1 Cup, your dignity will die along with your appetite for chocolate ice cream. Even Kevin broke the first time he saw it.

* * *

A/N: If you guys never heard of 2 Girls, 1 Cup, well...lucky you. I was pranked by one of my friends. I was sort of expecting a Rick-Roll, but this was just...blarg. I've never had chocolate ice cream ever since that. If you want to hear the plotline of it, look it up. Because I am NEVER telling, never, ever. Review please :D


	31. Sunrise

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause I never willlll D,:

A/N: Damn. Lot of reviews :D I'm so happy! Thanks you guys for the favorites and reviews :D I'd also love to thank bree tennyson and Moon-9215 for favoriting Runaway. I was starting to think that I pretty much failed at Bevin T_T Which doesn't surprise me, being that I'm a Gwevin fan and...yeah. So anyway. This is a cutesy one. Bubble gum and crystal sugar stick kinda sweet. Or maybe not. It all depends on your opinions...hmm...And I figured out where Bellwood is :D It's the same state where the Simpsons live (Springfield!) so it's freaking Illinois! :D MUST BE! Or maybe not...again. Whaddya guys think? WHERE THE -HONK- IS BELLWOOD?

Big Damn Table

31. Sunrise

The winter chill was something that I could handle. I grew up with the cold, having to bundle up every day. I remember looking at pictures of me as a baby. You could only see my eyes and a tiny red nose because of my parents bundling me up so tightly. I grew up with an extra week or two off during the winter for school because there was so much snow. And I'm still used to it.

I sat on the rooftop, wrapped up in a thick coat with two sweaters underneath and a pair of sweatpants. I had an extra long gray scarf that wrapped around my neck, mouth and my nose, only leaving the area around my eyes unprotected from the nippy temperature. My feet were really warm, comforted by two pairs of furry socks and some boots with fake fur that was knitted on the inside. I had a nice hot cup of hot chocolate stuffed between super thick gloved hands. I watched the sky, laying back against the shingles and getting comfortable.

I would do this every morning, every season. It didn't matter. Call me crazy for going in that weather at 1 something in the morning, but I didn't care. I loved to watch the **sunrise, **always able to have a clear mind and able to enjoy the simple, beautiful things in life that Earth's nature had to offer.

I looked up at the sky, smiling underneath the warm wool of my scarf. The early morning sky was a rich, deep dark blue blanket with diamonds strewn into its soft fabric. People say that it's pitch dark at night, especially during the morning. But what do they know? I was different than everyone else. I saw things differently than other people have seen, felt things differently than other people had felt...

I heard a soft rumble in the distance. I grinned, straightening up. I waited once I heard the rumble stop, and sat back as I waited for the figure to approach my house. I saw the silhouette of a figure approach, the figure mumbling and groaning. I laughed softly and shifted my body, trying to get comfortable against the shingles. I was used to wearing something thick and getting used to getting comfortable against the roof. A lot of people may take a long time to get used to it, but again, I am like no one else.

"Gwen..." The figure grunted, climbing up the ivy that grew delicately like lace against my house. I crawled to the side of the house carefully, not wanting to wake my parents. "I really hope that there was a good reason for this."

"Kevin, is it so wrong to see me every once in awhile?" I teased. I rose a hand, still holding my hot chocolate. My hand glowed magenta, ribbons erupting from my fingertips. The ribbons wrapped around him and I tugged with my mind. Kevin caughtonto the gutter, pulling himself onto the shingles. I helped him up and rose an eyebrow. "I figured that you'd have dressed a little more appropriately for this."

Kevin snorted, adjusting his leather jacket. He wore that, a plain grey long sleeved shirt, jeans, his black work boots and a knit cap. He looked cute, his nose and cheeks flushed from the cold. He rubbed his bare hands together, trying to get warm, eyeing my hot chocolate. "Hey, got one of those?"

"Sure thing. C'mon." We both climbed to my window and jumped into my room, careful to not make any noises that could disturb my parents from their sleep. I pointed to the other hot mug on my desk and he thanked me with a tiny kiss on the exposed skin next to my eye. He took the mug, drank a grateful gulp of it, put it back on the desk and sat on my bed. He jumped up like the bed on the fire once it creaked. I pursed my lips, trying to keep from laughing.

"OK...so that's a bad idea..." Kevin muttered, glaring at the mattress. "So, why did you want me here?"

"Just to hang out. Chill." I took off the heavy jacket, throwing it onto the bed. When I began to peel off the extra sweater, Kevin looked at me, interested and a little freaked. I rolled my eyes, showing that there was another sweater underneath. "I wanted to watch the sunrise with you. You know...something romantic?" I offered the cutest smile I could put out and he grinned back.

"I'm a romantic person," he whispered, getting closer to me. He slowly unwrapped the scarf from my face, leaning in. His warm breath felt nice on my ice cold skin and I shivered lightly. "When I want to be."

"True." He moved the scarf from my mouth and I could feel my heart almost bursting out of my chest when he leaned in to press his mouth against mine. The instant our mouths connected, a feeling of warmth travelled from head to toe like lava, slow and burning. I felt the scarf slip off my shoulders and his hands hold my waist firmly, pressing my tiny body against his. Even with his broad muscular, large body, we still fit together perfectly, like...well...puzzle pieces. As crazy cliche as that sounds, everything was so right. I felt so comfortable with him, him always being by my side. Even with our pasts, we still manage to complete each other so well.

Once we broke apart, Kevin wiped his thumb against my bottom lip, grinning. "You had some hot chocolate there. I was going to get it the other way, but uh...you probably wouldn't have taken that in very well, would you?"

I blushed. Tongueaction was something that Kevin and I had never came across. It was nice enough to just feel our lips moving against each other. I cringe a little, seeing other teen couples exchange saliva and what not. I never really could imagine doing it. I did, but it always ended horribly. Me choking on my spit, my tounge reacting too weirdly, me making a weird croak or other noise...yeah. I think you get my point.

"Probably not," I murmured. I glanced at the clock. 2:03 am. I looked up at him, trying to keep my composure. "Well. Want to just talk? Until three and we can watch the sunrise?"

"Sure thing."

The awkwardness melted like everything else had. We kept our conversations appropriate, not wanting to burst out with laughter and wake up my parents, or me slapping Kevin silly. I'm pretty sure we both appreciated to not have to do that. Once the awkwardness had melted and evaporated, us leaning in, his leather jacket hanging on top of my jacket and his knit cap thrown somewhere in my room. Then when 3 came around, there was just silence. Very comfortable, nice silence. I was just wrapped up in my own thoughts, leaning onto Kevin's torso with his arms wrapped around me. When the sky began to lighten into a lighter hue of blue, his chin rested on my shoulder and he lightly kissed my jawline.

"This is really nice. Just being together like this." He smirked a little, his voice teasing. "A lot better than watching some vampire movie or something like riding a rollercoaster together. Less vomit worthy and less worry of having a deaf ear."

I elbowed him softly, gaze still on the sky. "Watch it Levin," I grinned. He was right though. Movies averted my attention away from him, and rollercoasters absolutely terrified the utter crap out of me, so that was the least romantic. Then there was something as wonderful as this, being wrapped up in his arms like this, watching Mother Nature provided entertainment that was so amazing and priceless.

I never have watched the sunrise without him ever since. I never plan on ever stopping.

* * *

A/N: Aww :D Well, the next one is a Ben and Julie one :) So this should also be a nice sweet one too :D Review please?


	32. Sunset

Disclaimer: DON'T OWN IT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! GOODNESS!

A/N: So. Brooke is sitting right next to me and re-reading Runaway...when I'm trying to type a non-Bevin fic. Yeah. Ha ha I love this girl anyway :D For this, it may be a little cheesy...I don't really know your guys' taste, so...yep. ONE MO REVIEW BEFORE THERE'S 60! Oh em gee :D Thank you guys so much :3 I'm so very happy :D Recommend somethin'. C'mon. Seriously. Don't leave me hangin'! xD Enjoy the sappiness my friends :D

Big Damn Table

32. Sunset

"I was always the really annoying kid. I grew up in school, throwing paper planes at teachers' heads, shooting spitballs at anyone that ticked me off, ignored what my teachers told me, picked on my cousin...You get the picture. When I got the Omnitrix, I didn't instantly mature and become the mature, superhero that you see in the movies or comic books. I used the Omnitrix in immature ways, taking advantage of the different alien abilities that the Omnitrix provided. At times, there were moments that made me realize that I really had to grow up. I was the unlikely hero that was thrown into a really bad position. But you know what? Just like every other unlikely hero, I put on my big boy pants and did the right thing to do: Fight the bad guys and only expect the safety of loved ones and the innocence."

Julie giggled, her delicate hand raising her champagne glass up to the sky. "That was really good Mr. Tennyson," she teased. "Is that some autobiography that you're planning to publish soon? Or is there some index card with that hanging above my head?" She jokingly looked around and earned a playful, light smack on her bare knee. She laughed, shaking her head. "So, you weren't really that much of a good kid huh?"

Ben shook his head, chuckling. "No. Not really. I seriously kicked ass in soccer. That was the only thing that kept my coach from kicking me off the team."

Julie rolled her eyes. "Charming."

"I know right?"

Ben and Julie sat on a blanket that was spread out on a lone patch of grass in the park. It was a decent enough day, a few couples and families scattered around the park. A few joggers walked on the path a few yards away from them, their pounding music interrupting the tranquility for a few moments. They didn't even notice Ben and Julie, just jogging past. Ben sighed leaning back on his elbows. No disguise was necessary. He was in his early twenties, and since that he wasn't the teenage hero. He was a hero, but now that he grew up, the paparazzi and media didn't pick on him as much.

"This was really nice Ben," Julie sighed, leaning back on him. She leaned her head back, tilting her face so she could press her lips against his lightly. "Really great. A **sunset**, champagne, nice weather and a wonderful." She smirked. "I must say Mr. Tennyson...you make one _mean _chicken Alfredo."

"My mom has the recipe and she wanted to share it. So I made it an hour before our little date, that way it would be still fresh." He sit up a little, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder, surrounded by the sweet, innocent smell of cherry blossoms, jasmine and vanilla. It was a scent that was passed down from her Japanese ancestors, marking another unique quality for Julie Yamamoto.

He was so enticed about this girl. She was so much better than any other female in the world. In 2022, the sexiest woman alive was Jennifer Nocturne? Why? Was the world totally oblivious? Were they living under some rock? A cave maybe?

Julie Yamamoto was petite, lean and extremely graceful, the way she moved, turned her head, swung a tennis racket, walked, ran...the list went on. Her pale skin was smooth and flawless, not a blemish spotted on her skin. She had warm almond eyes, a small nose and mouth, her lips a soft, delicate pink. The way that she smiled drew him in and made him happy, whatever mood that he was in. She was an excellent kisser, not too sloppy and always made him feel like he was the luckiest man alive. The way that she still trusted in him, despite the stupid mistakes he made when he was sixteen, wrapped up in fame and an enormous inflated ego.

When he looked at Gwen and Kevin, them being engaged, and totally in love, it made Ben think. Why wasn't he going to engage to this wonderful woman and know that she was his forever? Why didn't he?

Ben looked down, seeing the slight bulge that was hidden underneath a small "fold" at the corner of the blanket. He felt something catch in his throat and he coughed. Julie looked up at him, eyebrow raised. He cleared his throat, embarrassed and leaned back again, hand sliding stealthily to the bump. "So, what's up?"

"You're seriously making this awkward, aren't you?"

"Hey, it's one of the most endearing qualities that I have, right?"

"Sure, sure." Julie leaned back, catching him off guard, his hand already sliding under the blanket. They both fell onto the blanket, the champagne from Julie's glass splashing them both. My hand was stuck under Julie's head, the prize firmly gripped in his hand. Julie groaned, looking down at her light pink blouse that had a dark pink stain on it. "Great! This was satin too..." she mumbled. She sat up, grabbing the corner of the blanket before Ben could say anything. She began to wipe frantically at the stain, gaze averted from Ben who was still laying down and the tiny box still in his hand.

"Uh...Julie?"

"Hold on."

"...er...Julie?"

"Hold...on..." she mumbled, still rubbing at the stain. It began to increase in size.

"Julie?"

"What?" Julie snapped, looking at him, still scrubbing. Her eyes looked down for a moment to look back at the stain, but the gaze immediatly stopped on his hand. Her scrubbing slowed, her face blank and expressionless. When her hand froze completely, her eyes flicked back to Ben, who gave her the best smile he could put out.

"Will you marry me?"

* * *

A/N: I giggled a little as I was writing the ending. Ben can wind up in the wackiest of situations, even when he tries to be serious. Poor Ben...you try so hard xD Review and suggest some shtuff for me :D Please?


	33. Too Much

Disclaimer: Don't own annnnnything related to MOA.

A/N: 60 REVIEWS PEOPLE! :D Thank you guys SO incredibly much! *has a miniature party* Welll I didn't know what to do with this one. Seemed a little hard, coming up with ideas. But then I figured something out ;) "Too Much." Typical Ben stuff xD

Big Damn Table

33. Too Much

"Dude. That is _way _**too much**. Your bladder may explode. Not that'd I mind seeing you explode. That'd be pretty freaking hilarious actually."

"Kevin..."

"Sorry Gwen. My bad."

Ben ignored the two, placing the tray on the table. There were a hundred tiny sample cups, all filled with different smoothie flavors, like little smoothie shots. "I'm experimenting. Mixing all the different flavors and stuff."

"Can't we do this at home?" Gwen asked wearily, looking over her shoulder. Paparazzi stood around them, people snapping pictures with their iPhones, cameras and cell phones. "We're starting to get a lot of attention."

"Gwen, Gwen, Gwen," Ben sighed, shaking his head. "If I was worried about attention, I'd be wearing an ID mask."

"Yeah_, you _aren't worried," Kevin stepped in, shaking his head. "But I'm starting to think that these guys are really trying to get up your ass. It's starting to really piss me off."

"Aw, you're worried for me Kev?" Ben gushed, flickering his eyelashes.

Kevin gave him the finger and a death glare. "No. Not really. What matters is me getting pissed off." He got the death glare back. "And Gwen getting pissed off. She matters too."

"That's what I thought," Gwen smirked. She reached toward a small cup and got a small slap on the hand. "What?"

"MINE," Ben hissed menancily, shoving the tray closer to him.

"OK Benji. You have issues." Kevin got up, looking at Gwen. "Wanna leave?"

"No, I'll stay. Ben needs some support. If he's alone, they'll swarm him."

Kevin stood there, pursing his lips. Gwen faced Ben, who was mixing an orange and blueberry smoothie together. When she laughed in that sweet, nice laugh when Ben made a disgruntled face, he decided against it, sitting back down next to Gwen. Gwen smiled. "Guess not huh?"

"I couldn't help it." Kevin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaning on her. "Seeing Benji stuff his face and almost puke his guts out is the best entertainment that he can provide."

* * *

A/N: Short and sweet :) It's school time and I'm in the Academy of Finance Business and Banking class and since there's a lot of seniors in this class, the class is really small because of the class assemblies. So I had 45 minutes to type this :) Review please! Thanks again for all of the comments :D


	34. Not Enough

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 and never will. Grr.

A/N: Still in Academy in Finance class as I'm typing right now. WAY too much time on my hands...so this is another Gwevin. Gwevin, Gwevin, Gwevin...sorry Brooke xD I really can't wait for the Japanese culture and anime seminiar for A Lunch :D Really excited. Then there's an AoF meeting during B Lunch. So busy today, only with a internal battery charged with five hours of sleep :( Ha ha I'm such a drama queen :p Whatever. So, here you go my friends! Enjoy :D

Big Damn Table

34. Not Enough

I was never the best.

I was always the worst.

I was **not enough**.

I was always the kid that was picked on. I was always the kid that got in trouble. I was the weirdo. I was the kid that was the germ of my grade school. After my dad had disappeared from my life, I didn't know that he was murdered. I thought that he was in another world, leaving me behind. As a kid, I was shocked. This was my dad. The dad that made amazing food, tought me to control my powers and love me, maybe even more than my mom did. So I grew as the kid that everyone would hate, that way no one could ever "love" me then hurt me again.

When I head to New York, I was surronded by other kids like me, that had crazy powers like me. I didn't trust them, they didn't trust me. It was the perfect relationship. I didn't have to worry about hurting anyone's feelings or anything like that. I did stupid stuff with them, getting caught, pointed at a random guy and ran away. That's how I lived my ten year old life. An outcast. When I turned eleven, there were no birthday parties, no presents and cake. I was on my own, being teased by some random a-hole and almost killed the guy before running off.

When the Tennyson family came along, I knew that Ben was the kid with the power. I've heard of him before. Some guys I knew had talked about him before, and I always bragged that I was going to get this kid. And some how like a miracle, I did. And I became a freak for that.

Revenge and hate was all I felt toward the Tennyson family. Even though I didn't know the kid and it was really a careless, selfish mistake on my part, I wanted to murder the Tennyson family. Rage and jealously from them being so perfect together, being closer than anything than I had ever seen.

When I was thrown into the Null Void, that anger only intensified. When that freakish form had vanished from me, I learned how to absorb any material. Metal, wood, crystal...they could all cover my skin, protecting me and strengthening me. With a few inmates, we broke from the prison and escaped from a portal that one of the inmates managed to crack open.

I fell right back into Bellwood and I used my powers against some guys I knew before that had tried to wiggle away from alien tech deals.

One day, I had a pretty messy fight with one of these guys, Adrian. He had friends too. They actually kicked my ass, kicking me out of their house. It was a pretty damn late night too, so I was exhausted, hurting all over and felt like kicking Adrian's head in.

I was wondering in a posh looking area, where the really expensive, fancy houses were. I glared at each fancy car that was parked in the paved driveways and I trampled a patch of flowers that were growing on a curb. Yeah, immature is what you could call that. But I was still fifteen year old boy that wanted more than anything to kick something around.

When I walked into a small little shopping center in the area, a girlish figure wearing a hoodie was in front of me, just walking. I felt a small scratchy feeling in my throat and coughed. She didn't turn. I watched her, not really stalking her, just seeing what she was doing, being the only person (you know, besides me) doing out late at night. She was humming softly to herself, the sound like a slap in the face. It reminded me of my mother singing me lullabies when I was still a little kid.

Then all of a sudden she froze, screaming, "WHY CAN'T MY LIFE JUST BE NORMAL FOR ONCE?"

I smirked. "Well, it's not going to be normal if you shout to the sky like that."

She turned around sharply, eyes widened and face bright red. Then she wore a mask of pure shock. "Oh my god, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Yeah. Totally fine. Just a few cuts here and there.

She freaked out about me needing to go to the hospital. Believe me, there were plenty of times that said that I needed a hospital, but did I ever really go? No. Of course not. I told her I was fine and she glared at me, clearly not giving up. "No way." Before I could turn away so I could be left alone, she grabbed at my wrist. I turned around, a little shocked at her strong grip. She shrunk back a little, but some how managed to stay put and not run away.

"At least let my help. I have first aid experience." Her voice was soft like the humming that I heard before. ""You don't need to go to the hospital, but at least let me clean them. After that you can go on with your life or whatever. Please?" She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to answer. I really didn't want to go to the hospital. I wanted to get a hotel room, go to sleep and get a free break fest. I had plenty of money on me from a tech deal before, the money that Adrian was too much of a dumb ass to grab.

But when I examined this girl, seeing how desperate she was to get me help...I could see it in her eyes. They reminded me of beach glass. Sharp, bright and fragile. She looked so scared. For what, I'm not really certain. But I knew this girl was just trying to be nice to me.

I let my eyes travel up and down her figure, taking her in. Then I smiled. "Sure. Whatever."

She looked surprised, then walked with me to a store. She asked the worker for a first-aid kit. The guy looked at us pretty strangely, but gave us the kit anyway. We head to an alley and I sat down on the gravel. Her breath let out little puffs in the air as she muttered, "Not a good place, but it's enough." She opened the kit, getting ready. "Shirt off please."

I smirked. "OK. But only 'cause you're hot."

She blushed, frowning. I fought a laugh and stripped off my shirt. She let out a small gasp, but kept her composure and went to work. As she swiped a cotton ball with the ice cold medicine on it against the cuts on my chest, there was just total silence between us. Her eyes were kept completely on the scars and bruises. She looked a little awkward.

"Favorite music?"

I laughed. "That was sorta weak, don't you think?"

She had a pull at her lips, trying to fight a smile. She sighed. "It was worth a try," she muttered, beginning to put around my arm. I watched her, interested a little. When was the last time that someone had actually offered to help me? Actually offered a helping hand? Ever since my father had disappeared, I closed up everything, only letting my mother in my life. When I thought that I was alone, I left, going to New York and...

I noticed a lone strand of hair that escaped her hoodie. It was a bright red, an unnatural color. I thought it was dyed at first, but when I thought about it, it looked like the real deal. There weren't many natural red-heads in this world.

I felt a sting when she put a bandage on a scar on my chest. "It's going to hurt. So just sit still."

"Sure thing." I relaxed a bit, letting her dress the wounds. After she was done with the upper part of my body, she wanted to clean the wounds on my legs. I rolled up the ripped pants up as far as they could and she handled them carefully. After that, she examined my face carefully. She looked at my eyes.

"You're going to have a shiner..."

"Fights do that to you," I laughed.

She made a face of clear distaste. "You were in a fight huh? Must've been intense."

"Yeah. I won though." Clearly, that was a big lie. But she smirked, making me smirk back. She wiped my face with some more medication and straightened.

"OK, I'm done."

I put my shirt back on, shaking my hair out a little so it could fall into my eyes. I watched as she head back to the store. Now, I did want to thank her. Just a small "thanks", give her a hand shake and walk away. But she would ask me my name, try to know me more. I didn't want any of that. I may get hurt again.

So I walked away, heading to the city. But before I could make five steps, I heard a door close and her yell out, "WAIT!" I looked over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow. I knew it. "You didn't tell me your name."

Might as well, I thought. You'll never see her ever again. Better make this count..."Kevin Ethan Levin."

Before I left, I saw something in her eyes. Something I know now. When I saw her again a year later, I realize I really did bring someone into my life. Someone that I used to hate, someone that I wanted to kill and get on with my life.

Gwen Tennyson.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dun...ha ha :p Sorry for the slow update! I can only do it when I can :l So REVIEW please?


	35. Sixth Sense

Disclaimer: NEVER. EVER.

A/N: Well. I hate yellow jackets with a passion. I didn't get stung by one. Uh-uh. I was just inside, enjoying the breeze from the open windows while my parents and my baby bro are outside, looking at a fence that belonged to a house next to us. All of a sudden, I hear a shrill scream and at least thirty F bombs from my mom. Apparently a yellow jacket stung her on the neck and the wrist while she was holding Nicholas. Well, everything is kinda influenced in here from the events soo...yeah. Here ya go.

Big Damn Table

35. Sixth Sense

Devin and Jaylyn Levin were only two years old when the universe discovered the first half breed-human-Anodite-Osmosian children shared a **sixth sense**. It was remarkable. Whenever Jaylyn fell down or hurt herself, Devin would feel it too. Whatever mood Devin was in, Jaylyn could sense it and recognizeit. It was a short phase, only lasting until they both turned four years old. It was still always a remarkable thing to see, two half breed siblings able to feel what the other feels. Devin and Jaylyn knew of their special abilitesand lived every moment together, having that wonderful feeling of a connection that no one else could possibly ever have.

One prime example was when Devin was watching a colorful, musical kids' show in the living room. The wide 60 inch HD TV filled the large room with sound, mixing with the cool breeze and sounds of his family outside through the open windows. It was a nice, peaceful time in his childhood. He could feel Jaylyn tentatively touch a soft petal of a flower while Mommy held her, explaining that it was a Black-Eyed Susan. He smiled, relaxing into the couch, snuggling with his blanket.

Then there was a shock of pain and fear that he felt. He winced at the feeling then jumped when he heard a shrill scream. "Mommy!" He dashed to the kitchen, still hearing the frantic screams, looking through the glass doors that led to the garden and the balcony. Mommy ran to the balcony, her long red hair whipping around as she held Jaylyn tight against her. She was stifling her sobs, opening the door. "Oh my god...Ow, ow, ow..."

Devin had never seen Mommy like this. Ever. She was always such a strong, able person, looking over Devin and Jaylyn so well. He could sense Jaylyn fear, feeling how scared she was about Mommy. Jaylyn peaked through Mommy's hair with tear streaked cheeks. Devin nodded. Everything was going to be fine. Jaylyn nodded, but still looked fearful.

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Jaylyn, I'm going to put you down, alright?"

Jaylyn nodded and ran to Devin as soon as she was put down. Mommy washed her wrist under hot, wildly running water from the sink, crying in pain. Daddy rushed in, closing the door. "Jesus Christ Gwen, what happened?" Daddy rushed to Mommy, hugging her.

"There was something that stung me," Mommy sniffed, holding her wrist. "God...it hurts so much...I was so worried...because I was holding Jaylyn, I-"

Devin felt a powerful sweep of pain on his arm. He jumped looking at Jaylyn. Jaylyn was squeezing her eyes shut, letting out a long, painful wail.

"Oh my God, Jaylyn?" Mommy rushed to her, picking her up. "What's wron-Jesus!" She swatted at Jaylyn arm frantically, a yellow jacket falling to the ground. The four all stared in shock at the yellow jacket. Devin's skin itched a little and he scratched his arm. Jaylyn started to sob and scream in pain, holding onto Mommy tight. "Oh, I know sweetie...Jesus, Kevin, hold her. I need to get some baking powder."

Daddy did what she told, and held Jaylyn, shushing her softly, stroking her long black hair. Then he made a face, crushing something under his foot. He lifted his foot up, another yellow jacket crushed completely against the floor. "God. They're spawning."

Devin stood there, not knowing what to do. He felt his sister's pain, wanting to do something to relieve it. Something that could make her feel better, and Mommy happier. He wanted to help out. He really wanted to. But what was he going to do? He was so young...too young in fact, to even do anything more than make a bowl of cereal by himself. He didn't have any powers or abilites. He was useless...

Mommy walked back to them. "Figured it out."

"Figure what out?" Daddy asked, patting Jaylyn's back. "Are you OK?"

"I gotta nasty scar but...it'll heal." She smiled, putting a hand on Jaylyn's shoulder. "_Repara Vespula dzelt!_"

Devin felt instant relief wash over Jaylyn and he grinned. Jaylyn looked up, sniffling. "Thank you Mommy."

Daddy smiled at Mommy. "Yeah. So, Gwen. A yellow jacket huh?"

Mommy punched him on the arm, making Devin and Jaylyn giggle. "Yes. A yellow jacket. Those bitches sting. Repeatedly. Those god damn basterds aren't like the bees in Winnie the Pooh. They don't exactly 'buzz joyfully.'"

"Well, considering what just happened in the past few minutes, I'd say we're never going to head to that fence again until Mommy kicks some yellow jacket ass, huh kids?"

"YEAH!" Devin and Jaylyn shouted, pumping their fists in the air. They all laughed together, being the closest of a family that you could ever imagine.

* * *

A/N: Didn't know how to end the last sentence :l Yeah, I was holding Nicholas while Mom was freaking out, then he started to cry. I thought it was just because he was freaked out about Mom, but when I checked him, there was this yellow jacket stinging him. You don't know how bad I wanted to kick some yellow jacket ass. SO. FREAKING. BADLY. I wanna mow every single yellow jacket in the world down Dx 'Dem son of a bitches! *sigh* Review please?


	36. Smell

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MoA does.

A/N: R.I.P. Every man and woman that lost their lives on the day of 9/11. May every family member of the victims be watched over and cared for, knowing that their deceased is now in a better place, no longer hurt or in danger. *heart*

Warning: This is a tiny Bevin drabble. So don't rip me apart if you're a major Gwevin fan...But if you are tolerant, please read :)

Big Damn Table

36. Smell

Ben looked at the the magazine article, interested and amazed. Was it that simple?

_Seduce the man of your dreams with pheromones. The scent will bring the man of your dreams closer to you, so you know that this man will be more than in love with you._

On the spread there was a couple cuddling next to a roasting fire, looking at each other all lovingly with rose petals scattered on the white carpet and a box of heart shaped chocolates next to them. He wrinkled his nose. Maybe the set up wouldn't be that romantic, but still...

He looked for the purchase information, nodded and got up, flushing the toilet. After washing his hands, he walked out of the bathroom, magazine in hand as he marched determinedly to his room. His parents caught him closing the door shut and they exchanged uncertain glances.

"Did Ben just bring your Marie Claire magazine into his room?" his dad asked, clear concern on his face.

"I...think he did."

-2 Weeks Later-

Ben ran to his room and slammed the door shut. He ripped the cardboard box open, bubble wrap surprisingly ignored by him. Then he took out the tiny box, looked at confusingly, then dialed Gwen's number.

Gwen picked up with a sigh. "Now what Ben?"

"Hey, Gwen, how do you use a pheromone?"

"...Should I ask?"

"No. Answer. Now."

Gwen sighed heavily. "Look, Ben, I'm really busy and I-"

"ANSWER ME WOMAN!"

"..._OK_ then..." She cleared her throat. "A pheromone is a chemical that female animals release to attract a male for mating. It's very complex and-"

"OK, thanks Gwen." He quickly hung up on Gwen, knowing that Gwen would demand an explanation later on. But that didn't matter. He took out the tiny vial of the clear liquid and dabbed a little on his neck like it was cologne. He sniffed, making a face. He couldn't really smell anything...so was this just a scam or what? Or maybe it would smell differently to Kevin?

Only one way to find out...He dialed his Ultimatrix to Jetray and flew to Kevin's garage.

-Kevin's Garage-

Kevin prepped up his car for the umpteenth time that day. He didn't know what else he had to do. For the past couple weeks, Ben had been distant and so concentrated on something else. It worried Kevin beyond everything else, seeing Ben so unconnected like that. Fixing his car and cleaning it was the only thing that let Kevin have a clear mind.

There was a figure that floated in front of the open garage door. Kevin jumped a little, the thick wax tumbling to the concrete floor. "Ben! Woah dude, you scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry," Ben apologized in his husky Jetray voice. He switched back to his human form, then something hit Kevin. _Hard. _

There was a **smell **so strong, it almost gagged him. It was too sweet, like a large flower bouquet store was jammed into his nose along with a small candy shop. He wrinkled his nose. He was so used to that signature smell that Ben carried, with a bittersweet smell of chocolate and the comforting smell of leather. This wasn't right at all...a total turn off to be exact.

"Uh...Ben?"

"What are you wearing?"

Ben looked down, confused. He tugged at his shirt collar. "Let's see...um...got this black shirt from Old Navy. This dark-wash ripped jeans were from Old Navy too. You know, everything but the shoes are from Old Navy...Jesus Christ is everything I own from Old Navy?"

Kevin couldn't help but smile. His little Benji and his little antics..."No. It smells like you're wearing perfume."

Ben frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh. Well..." He made a face. "Is it good smelling perfume?"

"Not even. It smells like Gwen when she wore that Candy Apple thing when we used to go out."

"Oh. Well." Ben slapped the Ultimatrix again, turning back into Jetray. "Well, I'm just gonna...get a refund on that pheromones and take a bath in some Axe. Yeah..." So he flew off into the sky without a word, leaving Kevin sitting on the car hood with spilled wax on the floor.

Kevin rose an eyebrow. "...Pheromones? What the hell are pheromones?"

* * *

A/N: Hahahaha xD Oh gosh Kevin...Well, I wanted to do this, 1. Because after watching the pheromone experiment on It's Effin Science, I REALLY wanted to do this! 2. Because when I grabbed for the condtioner with soap in my eyes, only to come out smelling like a yummy delicious manly man 3. Because I felt like doing a short Bevin for some reason today and 4. Because Brooke's helped me through a lot. Boyfriend dumped me with a text message and Brooke's made me smile every day after that :D So I wanted to do something for her, just a little thank you ;) Did I mention we're also engaged...? It's a Facebook joke :D Haha review please!


	37. Taste

Disclaimer: Never have owned it. Ever, ever, ever.

A/N: FOUR MORE WEEKS UNTIL 10.10.10! I is so excited xD *pause* This edit thing doesn't even have a grammar check T~T This thing fails...well, the Bevin snippet from the last one didn't get any reviews (SHOCKER!), so it's on to Gwevin :D I seriously had NO idea how to do this one. Until I remembered a little something. ParamoreXO, you have given me inspiration! I thank you xD

Big Damn Table

37. Taste

Gwen flicked a long strand of auburn hair out of her face, keeping her eyes on the page she was so absorbed in. Kevin watched her from across the room, perched up on the window sill, earbuds snuggly fitting into his ears and pounding bass from Hawthorne Heights. He pursed his lips, watching her curl up on the bed and her body relaxing. What was he doing, being so far away from her? They were there, together. Why the distant space?

He closed the space, propping himself on her bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She smirked, saying something, but the words were a low, soft hum. He unplugged the earphones. "What?"

"May I help you with something?"

"Nothing, just wanted to be close to you."

Gwen rolled her eyes, her smirk softening a little. "Sure, sure."

"I do!"

"Whatever you say Kevin," she sighed, her head relaxing on his broad shoulder. Her eyes were glued on the magazine page again. Kevin looked at it with her and grinned.

"'How to Kiss Your Boyfriend, Tip #1: Always be aware of verbal and non-verbal signs that your guy gives to you.' So what? Is a guy that easy to read? Does my face say kiss me whenever I pucker my lips like this?" He made a fish-lip face, earning a playful smack on the arm. "What? Just asking."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. She still read the page.

"How to Kiss Your Boyfriend, Tip #2: If you don't want to have sex, and it's going in that direction-"

"Kevin!"

"What? Just reading along with you!" Kevin grinned. "Did you know if you read things aloud, you can understand something better?"

Gwen gently pushed him, her face bright red. Kevin instantly regretted saying something like that aloud. Sex. Gwen was always a very timid girl, and when things came to tongue action or anything like that, she blushes and pushes him away. She was a firey girl when it was unintentional. When she tries, she can't do it and fusses. Which was something Kevin shouldn't have teased about.

"Sorry 'bout that."

She sighed, shaking her head. "It's fine. I was kind of asking for it anyway, reading it when you're right next to me." She tossed the magazine across the room. "Hey, do you want anything to drink? Something to snack on maybe?"

"Sure. You got Monster, right?"

She grinned. "Only one more left." She pursed her lips. "How about a mixed one? Monster and Mountain Dew Code Red?"

"Sure. I'll try it." Gwen slid from under his arm and went to get the drinks. Kevin looked around her room, his eyes locking onto her desk drawer. He really wanted to. If Gwen had something secret and she caught him, he'd be dead, no questions asked. But hell, his curiousity got the best of him. He snuck over and opened a drawer. He smirked.

"Bingo..."

No wonder why Gwen carried a different **taste** everytime he kissed her!

In her drawer was a pouch filled with lip balm. He took it out, looking at a few of them. Red Raspberry, Pineapple, Green Apple, Coconut, Cookie Dough, and his personal favorite, Strawberry Creme. He was a little shocked, seeing how many different kinds there were in that bag. There had to be more than a hundred in there. Why did Gwen have so many in there anyway? Was that just a girl thing or what?

Then a thought crossed his mind. Was there one that he _hadn't _tried? What if there was something like Papaya, which was something he was allergic to? Then he'd have bubbled up lips. That wouldn't be very attractive, now would it?

He reached for a random one. Berry Smoothie. He uncapped it and dabbed it on his lips. He smoothed it, tasting it. Not bad. He capped it, grabbing a Peppermint one. Over two minutes, he'd gone through thirty different ones. When he got to the thirty-first (Pina Colada), he heard a small gasp. He turned to see Gwen standing at the door, holding two frozen Mountain Dew Code Red-Monster drinks, her jaw hanging on its hinges.

"Uh...I was just...um..." He looked down at the tubes spread on the floor next to his lap, then looked up back to Gwen's face. "I was experimenting."

"With...my lip balm?"

"Yeah."

There was complete silence between the two for a few minutes or so.

* * *

A/N: Ah, not as good as Games People Play, that's for sure. *sigh* I got the idea from that one chapter when Gwen put different flavored lip glosses on her lips and Kevin had to taste each one to see how he liked it. Much hotter than this, I can assure you :p This was just plain awkwardness for the two xD Kevin and Gwen finally unfrozed after that and when Ben had heard of this, he's never let it go xD It'll be brought up eventually in another chapter...lol. This one is a bit later, since this was supposed to be Sound. But I fail either way. REVIEW PLEASE!


	38. Sound

Disclaimer: NEVER! I will _NEVER _say it! You can't make me! *gun readies in the background* Er...Man of Action owns Ben 10 and I don't? *gun clicks* OK, fine! I won't say it like a question! Yeesh. Don't own Ben 10 'cause MOA does. *gun put down* Thank you. I OWN IT! PSYCH! *runs away*

A/N: *sigh* Because I had a screw up, I am doing the one that I was SUPPOSED to do. I fail. Ha ha, and I see that there are more reviews for the Gwevin one the last time than the Bevin one. See? Bevin is more of something that a natural Bevin fan should do! SO I'll do something more of my liking: GWEVIN. By the way, some of these one shots are connected to others, and some are not :p It's a mixed up mash of a bunch of different one shots! That way you aren't totally confused...Enjoy :D

Big Damn Table

38. Sound

He adjusted the collar of his shirt, running his hand through his hair another time. Why was a man like him so nervous? It was fine. It was something that he could handle. He's faced danger and death in the face time and time again. He was an ex-con, a man that had let no one in his way when he wanted to get what he wanted. He was the one that was always feared, always in control.

But when _she_ came around, well...things changed.

He looked around, clearing his throat. The sound was drowned out by the loud **sound **of his surroundings. It was a neat, organized loud, not awfully chaotic.

The place was clean and elaborate. The hallway had lush white carpeting and rich red walls that were adorned with classic, Renaissance-era paintings. The doors were a dark maple, engraved with beautiful, lace-like swirls and shapes and golden door handles. The people filling the room made the place even more elaborate. Young men wore expensive tuxedos and suits with white, sheen face masks and sleek hair. In the arms of the men were dressed up young women who had their hair straightened, curls, pinned with ribbons, bows, flowers or made up with highlights. On their wrists were either a corsage or a diamond and gold bracelet. They wore lace and ribbon eye masks, framing their mascara and eyeliner heavy eyes. Their dresses made them look even more expensive, with poufs of taffeta, silk and satin, and rhinestone encrusted bodices.

Kevin looked down at himself. He wasn't doing the cheesy face mask. He wasn't slicking his hair back or wearing a fancy tuxedo. He let his hair fall where it may. He wore a black jacket, white shirt, a gray vest, black pants and some black shoes that he had found laying around in his closet. He wasn't going to dress up to impress people he had never met before. He could feel the gaze of girls glued to his well formed body with interested eyes and the jealous sneers of guys that wanted to kick his teeth in. Not that they could, really. They could try, but it would be the last thing that they would ever attempt in their pathetic lives.

He sighed, making his way to the food and drinks, which were right next to a band playing some classic music. He rolled his eyes, grabbing a glass of some bubbly clear liquid. He took a sip, snorting in disgust. It was completely unflavored, just bubbly and ice cold to the point where it numbed the roof of his mouth. He disscretly put it back with the other glasses and grabbed a small glass plate that was shining like diamonds. It made him think that this place was just a whole dream just coming to life. Was this place really that rich?

"I saw that Kevin."

He jumped a little in surprise at the familiar voice. "Jeez Gwen, I've been waiting for-" Once he turned around, his breath just whoosed out of his lungs.

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Tennyson had to be the most beautiful female in this world. She had to be.

Her delicate body wore a dress that clinged to her skin. The bodice was black, the sides adorned with tied purple ribbons on the side. The long deep purple skirt shaped around her legs, a cut descending mid thigh to the floor, showing off a nice, flawless leg that was wrapped up in a black high heels with ribbons crossing up her calves. She wore her beautiful black and purple Lucky Girl mask, the deep purple bringing out the bright green in her dark jade eyes. Her full lips were lightly glossed with a peach pink and her cheeks were naturally pink from the excitement that was happening all around her. Her long red hair flowed down to her waist, her hair not needing any special treatment like all the other girls. She held up a black laced gloved hand, smirking. "Hi. See that you didn't bring your mask."

He was completely speechless. He didn't really know what to say. He just stared, not feeling anything in his body...or his face. He was completely lost for words.

She lifted a finger, tapping the bottom of his chin. He snapped back to reality at the touch, feeling that his mouth was wide open. He snapped it shut, straightening himself a little. "I must be the luckiest guy in the world. I swear..."

She laughed, though something in her eyes lit up like she was excited from the compliment. "It must be the Lucky Girl mask," she teased lightly. She looked around. "So, what do you think?"

"It looks like one of those old fancy rich people movies. What do you call them?"

"_Film noir_?"

"Yeah."

She smiled, shrugging. "Hey, what can I say? My school loves to through parties like this. They go a little over-board, but the only _real _reason that we did this was for the Harvard staff and directors." She sighed dreamily. "What I'd do to get into Harvard..."

"Would you kill people?"

"Kevin!"

He laughed, throwing an arm around her petite yet strong shoulders. He could feel the postive energy flowing through her, hearing it sing through her veins. "C'mon Gwen."

She pursed her lips. "Well...I _depends_."

"Oh really?"

She lowered her voice. "If it was Fagstar, yeah. I would."

God, he was seriously such a lucky man to have a woman like her...

* * *

A/N: Heehee :) I'm a sucker for dressing details! I can't help it! I draw a lot of dresses and clothing, so I love detailing :D It's fun to be a girl sometimes! You know...besides the whole "Swimming the Crimson Tide" thing and giving birth. Why can't guys do all the work...Woah Brandy. Stay focused. Three weeks, six days people! :D YESSSH! Please oh please review! ONLY A FEW MORE FROM 70! THANKS GUYS xD


	39. Touch

Disclaimer: Whatever.

A/N: I've wanted to do a Devin and Olivia one xD I really have! I've done SO many Gwevin ones, I just wanted a change. And no Brooke, I'm not doing another Bevin. Not for a long time at least. That's only if you get on your knees and BEG woman. xD Suck on that straw! xD Just messing with you...And I've been reading Dwayne's Question and Answers forums. Like, the really old ones? There's A LOT of pages. More than 500. OVER FIVE HUNDREDDDD! *sigh* That was really weird of me...hm. Well, pardon me if this is really bad :( I love Devin and Olivia :D *HEART* So enjoy it please? ...why did I say that like a question...?

Big Damn Table

39. Touch

"So, are you going to the prom Devin?"

Devin jumped, so focused on his work that her voice surprised him. He bookmarked the section in the textbook with his almost completed homework assignment and looked up, facing Olivia and her group of friends. "Prom?"

Roxanne, one of Olivia's friends, scoffed as she looked at herself with her compact mirror. "C'mon home school. I know you haven't really learned much in your lil' hum-drum life, but you've _never _heard of a prom?"

Another girl jumped in, Amy, chirped in, snatching the compact mirror out of Roxanne's hands. Roxanne rolled her eyes, laying back. Amy brushed back tawny brown hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, I think your sis Rose is actually more into things than you are."

Olivia turned toward her, handing back the compact mirror to Roxanne. "Stop it, both of you," she snapped. She turned back to Devin, smiling softly. "Sorry about that. They tend to be a little ignorant."

"I'm not ignorant! I'm _very _not ignorant," Amy said. She pursed her lips, frowning. "Uh...what does ignorant mean?"

Olivia smiled. "See what I mean?"

"Ignorant is unaware of things, correct?" Devin asked.

"Exactly."

"HEY!"

The group all laughed together (instead of Amy and Roxanne of course) and the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Everyone parted, saying their goodbyes and head to their classrooms. Olivia and Devin head to their class together, chatting about a test they had to take for AP Stats. Olivia had to grab her textbook out of her locker, so Devin laid back against the wall next to her locker, patiently waiting. "So...the prom is some sort of...dance?"

"Yes. That's all it really is. Just more exaggerated and people having inflated egos of sorts. Who has the best hair, who has the best dress or tux, who drove to school in a limo, who drove in a VW, who's got the best date, who's the Prom Queen and all that crap." Olivia sighed heavily, twisting her combination lock hard and with frustration. She hissed a line of profanity. "Damn thing won't open." She tried again, this time opening it. She rolled her eyes. "Jinxed again."

Devin smiled. "Prom Queen?"

"Yeah. Popularity contest," she huffed in annoyance, slamming her locker closed. "It's all that is." They began walking to class together. "I'm not into that stuff anyway. I'm not even Prom Queen material."

"If it was based off of real beauty and smarts, you should have put a vote in. I'm being totally honest here."

Olivia rose an eyebrow. "You really think that?"

"Yeah..." He paused, hand pausing on the stairs handrail. He looked at her, seeing the light pink flush on her cheeks. She was a beautiful human female. The only one that Devin could really find in this world. She had a natural beauty, beauty that other girls didn't have. She had cream white skin, long black hair that curled down to her waist and a lean yet soft figure. She had a heart shaped face set with warm brown eyes and full soft pink lips. She didn't have to wear make up like the other girls. She was all natural, no blemishes ruining her perfect face. She wore casual clothing, her favorite being worn that day. A Foreigners tour tee shirt, blue jeans and black flats. Anything she wore suited her just fine.

Now why was she still treated like an outcast? She didn't smoke, didn't attempt drug usage, didn't do anything completely irresponsible to get mere attention from anyone. She was nice to her friends and the people that treated her back with respect and honesty. She was creative, aspiring and a role model to the lower class men who wanted to stay active in SGA, Key Club and creative activities like Creative Writing, Photography and Art.

Why didn't this wonderful female human never earn the attention that she deserved?

"Devin...we're blocking the way and we're going to be seriously late."

Devin snapped out of his clogging thoughts, noticing the people walking around them and glaring at them as they tried to make it up the stairs. Devin cleared his throat, the human emotion of embarrassment claiming him. He felt the blush and warmth in the fake human skin that covered him and he began to make his way up the stairs. "Sorry about that."

Olivia walked behind him, following him to class. "It's...perfectly fine."

Devin sighed heavily, tightening the straps of his book bag and felt the thoughts of Olivia cramming into his mind again. Rose had said before that having an intimate, close relationship with a human could be dangerous. There was never a child born from an Osmosian and a human before, but no one wanted to take a chance of death or mutation. But this human girl still managed to want him to break those barriers and well...get to have an close relationship like most other human teenagers.

They both reached their class, but before Devin could open the door for Olivia like he always did, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. A small tentative **touch**. Devin turned around to look at Olivia. He felt his humanized heart swell, seeing the melted-chocolate brown in her eyes, warm and comforting. There was a light pink flush on her face, roses and cream set on a heart shaped face. "You...meant it. That I should sign up for Prom Queen?" Her voice was filled with hopeful expection. It was ridiculous, this girl not seeing the real potential that she had.

"Of course I meant it. Is it too complex to believe me when I say that?"

"No, no, no, it's just..." She smiled, Devin feeling something strange tug at his heart that made him jump a little. "Sweet. Thanks Devin." She leaned in and his body tensed. A swift peck was delivered to his cheek and she quickly leaned back, opening the door and walking into the classroom. As the door closed shut, the sound echoing in the slightly crowded hallway, Devin stood there, questioning himself over and over.

Was it so normal to feel so light? So carefree, like your heart was about to explode in your chest? Was love this wild and yet so gentle to humans?

He wasn't sure, but he knew that he wanted to figure it out.

* * *

A/N: Ahhhh ^_^ That was nice...now to the people reading this now having no clue about how Olivia and Devin came to be so close, well...read my story "How It Begins." The one shot clears things up a bit and helps sew together everything :D Well, it's funny 'cause my ex texted me a few days ago, breaking up with me, then the day after that, he started dating a freshman girl named Kate or something like that. But you know what? I'm actually writing a lot of fluffy romance stuff xD People have been noticing this...hm. Well, sorry I haven't updated! I've been kinda busy with school and shtuff. Oh what fun...REVIEW!


	40. Sight

Disclaimer: Thee brandirandom21 (aka Brandy) shall never owneth Ben 10 because thee MoA doth owns. *pause* What the hell was that...?

A/N: I felt like doing a stupid Ben one :P I love doing these...I mean, Ben can be serious (.1% of the time...too much?) but us fanfic writers LOVE to do a silly Ben one :D And have I mentioned how much I just love Dwayne?

**Fan: 1. Why do Kevin and Gwen have crushes on each other? Is it really significant to the main plot of Alien Force?**

**Dwayne McDuffie: 1. Gwen is brave, smart and beautiful. Kevin is tall, mysterious and a bad boy. What's not to like? Their relationship is crucial to the Ben 10 story.**

Thank you Dwayne! xD And yeah, who DOESN'T love a bad boy? Ha ha, onward to the story folks...

Big Damn Table

40. Sight

Ben was always a curious boy. Especially at five years old. You know that age. Cute, curious and a tad naive. Sure, they could be a pain, asking that dreaded "w" word ("WHY" TO THE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT KNOW!) after everything their parents explain to them, and they always manage to sneak into something or get into trouble. Benjamin Kirby Tennyson was the perfect exact example of that.

One day, Ben was walking around the house, his dad working on papers for his job and his mother cleaning the TV. They were flexible parents, letting Ben do what he wanted to do except anything dangerous like touching a hot stove or running around with a steak knife. So as they worked, Ben was doing his own thing and being a kid. He looked into his parents' closet looking through everything that caught his eye. Old bank and housing bills and really boring tiny printed papers with big words that he didn't understand. Bored, he put them back in the boxes in the corner of the closet, looking around. Something interesting caught his eye.

A lone box was sitting on the high shelf over the clothing in the closet. Just sitting there, nothing around it. It was practically an open invitation to him. Tongue pressed between his lips in concentration, he finally came up with an idea. He dashed to the dining room, grabbing a wooden stool. His parents exchanged a quick glance and a smile, going back to their work. Ben lifted the heavy (well, heavy to a five year old boy anyway) stool to his parents' closet. It took sometime to get there, but he finally made it. He adjusted and wiggled the stool this way and that, that way in his five year old mind he would know that he wasn't going to fall. By the way readers, don't be like Ben.

Don't use a stool on carpet.

He climbed onto it, wobbling only slightly. Grinning in success, he reached up, making a grab for the box. His fingertips only brushed against it. He frowned. How was he supposed to get the box? How'd his parents manage to get that box up there? Unable to really think of asking his parents for help and completely (and maybe a little too much) determined, he tried again. This time, he jumped up, snatching the sides of the box. He got it! He got the box! He-

Of course as we know, gravity loves kicking everyone's ass.

His foot slipped on the side of a stool, box tumbling down with him. It was completely empty, a trap that his parents made to teach Ben a lesson about "curiosity killed the cat" and all that stuff you learned when you were a kid.

He fell not too hard at all. Actually he landed pretty well, only landing flat on his belly onto the plush carpet. The box had landed on his head, blocking any **sight **that was available to him. Of course as a kid, we all know how this could be put together when your kid learns about blindness.

"Oh noooo! I'm _blind_! Mommy, Daddy, I'll be blind forever! I can't see anything! Noooo!" Then he began to cry, feeling like his world had come to an end because he couldn't see anymore. "MOMMY! DADDY! HELP MEEE!"

His parents walked to the room, looking calmly and clearly amused at the scene.

"Well."

"This is something that was bound to happen, wasn't it Sandra?"

Ben's mother sighed, shaking her long blond hair. "Well, he'll learn now. That way it won't happen again."

-11 Years Later?-

"Dang it where's my calculator?"

Ben looks up, seeing that his cluttered bookshelves hid everything from his sitting view. Sighing, not wanting to get up but having to anyway, he got out of his chair and looked at the boxes. Sumo Slammers Cards, Sumo Slammers action figures, Sumo Slammers collection video and board games...Ah! School supplies. He reaches for the box, his fingertips only brushing against it. Making an annoyed sound, he jumped up, grabbing it. Somehow, gravity and his clumsiness combined, feet tripping and losing his balance, and fell over, boxes of cards and collectables coming down.

His parents were watching Jersey Shore, making critics on Snookie's fake tan-and quite absorbed in this argument, may I add-when all of a sudden, they heard a shriek. "OH MY GODDD! I'M BLIND! I CAN'T SEE! IMMA BE BLIND FOREVER! WHY MEEE? I'M FREAKING BEN 10 MAN! WHY?"

Cut to Ben's dad looking at Sandra with a fixed look. "You were saying?"

* * *

A/N: I had to. I really had to xD REVIEW PLZ! 'K?


	41. Shapes

Disclaimer: Dammit! Don't own Dx

A/N: Welll. I've been banned from my iPod Touch for a week! This totally sucks. And over some dumb 60 I got on a test I didn't even understand. Well it comes to show kids, STUDY EVEN MORE EVEN IF YOU FEEL RIGHT ABOUT IT! 'CAUSE IT WILL BITE YOU IN THE ASS ONCE YOU GET THE TEST! *sigh* It's really hard for me because I love to listen to music (it keeps the creative juices flowing) AND I can't check fanfiction updates :l Well, I guess I'll learn to survive. But Thursday is going to be sooo much fun :D There's a field trip to go to the Towson University and the Universityof Maryland :D It was only for the Academy of Finance juniors and seniors. I'm a sophomore, but when there weren't many going to the field trip because of things they had to do, there were positions open! :D It's an all day trip, but I'll be meeting new people and see an actual university COLLEGE. WITH MY OWN FOUR EYES. ('cause I wear glasses :p) Ha ha, so here's a cutesy Ben and Julie one :D And remember. Kids don't speak perfect English. Well, neither can I, but still xD

Big Damn Table

41. Shapes

Julie Yamamoto pursed her lips in confusion, obviously torn by the problems in front of her. She held her bright pink crayon tightly almost to the point where it could snap in her tiny fist, and the items were spread out in front of her. Her long straight hair kept getting into her eyes, making the five year old _very _frustrated.

"OK class, it's this easy. On your desk are five things," her kindergartner teacher had said, holding up five fingers. "On your paper you need to match the things on your desks to the **shapes** on the paper. You write down the food next to the shape word, then you can snack on them afterwords!"

Yeah. _Easy _she said. She was clearly trying to mess with her head.

Her stomach growled a little as she stared at the food snacks on her desk. There was a cookie (circle), slice of an apple (crescent/moon), graham cracker (rectangle), grape (oval) and a saltine cracker (square). She bit her bottom lip, not able to understand how to match the shape to the snacks. What was the difference between an oval and a circle anyway? One was fat and one was skinny right? She knew that much, but which one was which? She couldn't remember.

She felt defeated, losing all hope. Before she lost all hope and dreams, there was a loud munching noise amidst all the talking and the giggling in the room. She looked to her side, seeing Ben Tennyson, a classmate of hers that she grew to know over the past couple weeks, munch happily with puffy cheeks pertaining to a squirrel getting ready for winter. She could feel a smile creep up on her face. "Ben?"

Ben looked up with wide grass green eyes. "Whut?" he asked, crumbs flying from his mouth. Julie squealed in disgust and Ben swallowed the rest before talking. "What?"

"You looked funny."

Ben frowned, his eyes looking away, but his glance stopped on to Julie's blank paper. He looked at her. "You need help?"

Julie blushed, embarrassed that she got caught. Her eyes burned with threatening tears. "Yes please..."

Ben smiled. "Don't cry. I'll help you do it." He really did. He showed her the different between the circle and the oval. He made analogies that she could understand, unlike Ms. Brimstone that just made things up at the top of her head. Once Julie understood it, she matched everything on the paper with her little pink Crayon and grabbed the cookie first. "Was that easy or what?"

"Yes, it sure was Ben. Thank you."

"Sure. Now...would you mind sharing that cracker. They were really good..."

* * *

-30 Years Later-

Julie sat on the couch, absorbed in her book. She flipped a page, clearly ready to dive into the climax of the story, when the door unlocked and in walked Ben, the superhero himself, with some grocery bags. Julie looked up with an eyebrow raised, closing her book. "Hey Ben."

"Hey Jules," Ben smiled, kissing her on the cheek. He liked calling her that. It sounded like he was calling her "jewels" which is what she was to him. Bright, gleaming and gorgeous to many. "Sorry I'm late. Once I left work, I wanted to grab something from the store."

"I would've gotten what you needed Ben."

"Yeah, you may think they're asleep up there, but Ben and Jenny know damn well enough when they're free to do whatever," Ben chuckled. "C'mon. I'll show you what I got." Julie bookmarked the page she was on, intending on reading that climax as soon as possible, got up and followed Ben to the kitchen. He set the bags on the marble counter top, grinning. "I was working on some profiles of some Plumbers. Education stuff mainly. Then I got bored and looked at my classes and what not, seeing all my grades. Then I remembered something that I learned in kindergarten."

Julie rose an eyebrow. "You remembered stuff you learned in _kindergarten_?"

"Well, yeah. It's really important stuff." He opened a bag, but before he pulled them out, he smiled. "It was really important to me." He pulled out five things. One box of saltine crackers, one bag of grapes, one bag of apples, one box of graham crackers and one box of chocolate cookies. Julie stared at the quizzically, then let out a small "Oh."

"Yeah. I figured that day was really important to me, because I got to know you more that day." He opened a bag of grapes and popped one in his mouth. "Figured this would jog a few memories for you. Does it?"

Julie nodded slowly, then grinned. "Yeah. It does. It really does." She took the box of crackers. "You still like these, right?"

* * *

A/N: I love these child-future ones :D There so much fun :) REVIEW PLEASE?


	42. Triangle

Disclaimer: Don't ownnnnn. Everrrrrr.

A/N: Ahhhh -.- *happy content sigh* All of your review make me so happy :D And especially with the fact that ParamoreXO took my suggestion and said that nice lil' compliment :D Makes me happy, every single one of you encouraging me.

And let me be serious for a moment. Neither of my parents get me. They pick at me, saying that I should have friends (I do, because how else do I get the support to keep going with this?) and ask me if I'm lonely, which I'm not. You, the reader and the reviewer are strangers to me, but really kind strangers that give me the courage to go on. Every little word helps me go on with my writing. I may be an amateur, and I will never be as excellent of a writer as some people I know on here. Sometimes I feel a little down, knowing that my parents don't support me with my writing and my art, but my friends and you guys do. So it seems like nothing else matters :)

Well. I'll stop with this and let you read :D

Big Damn Table

42. Triangle

I've heard of those little love **triangles **before. You see them in those romance movies and read them in romance novels. Yes, I have read them and watched them, but that was only because of Gwen's wants. Sure, some of them pretty much suck, have no plot and is just a bunch of goop slapped on a movie screen or a page. But that's what I used to think.

Now, sitting through another romance movie, it made me think. I put myself in the protagonist's shoes and followed the story.

OK. It starts of on a pretty crisp and clear fall afternoon or whatever. September or August, not sure. But there's the red and burnt orange leaves in the trees and drifting to the ground. I'm walking down a path next to a beautiful auburn hair girl with bright green eyes. She says something and I laugh, a big smile on my face. Whatever she says is so happy, making any mood that I had switch to just pure giddiness. I loved being here, next to this girl. But I did have problems, problems that prevented me from being any close to intimacy with this girl.

I was a werewolf. A monster that could lose control and snap her in two perfect halves. It could be random, could be from over-excitement or anger. Did she know this?

Of course. She kept saying that she knew, over and over again. She said she didn't care. She said that nothing of that didn't matter. She loved me for who I was, as a being. I was no monster. Despite my monstrosity, I was a great person to her.

She looked into my eyes, her small lips parting with those forbidden words. _Do you love me?_

For the hundredth time, I say, _I can't._

She glares at me, creases forming between her perfect eyebrows. _Why not?_

_Because I'm a monster. I don't care how many times that you say that I'm not, I am a monster. _I sigh, running my hand through my hair. I was torn, unable to put a handle on the situation. I took a deep breath, trying to control myself. _I'm sorry._

_That still doesn't answer my question, _she presses furiously. Her long red hair whips around her like a slowly burning fire once she stops abruptly, the wind catching her. Her eyes seemed to glow with her magic power. _I didn't ask if you could. I'm asking if you do._

_I can't. _It comes out as a strangled moan. I can't love this girl. She would hurt herself. She couldn't see it, but I could. _I'm sorry. _

She glares at me with her green eyes. There like beach glass. Smooth, polished and fragile, yet sharp and hard. _I see now. You _don't _love me. Well if you can't love me, then I guess I'll be on my way. _Then she runs away, her bare feet kicking behind her with her pure white skirt flowing around her. She disappeared, gone from my sights. I could only stare at where she once was before, hopeless and unbearable.

"Poor guy," Gwen murmurs, leaning onto my shoulder.

"Yeah. Poor guy."

The scene cuts to me, the girl's brunette haired brother and the girl. We sat at a table at a restaurant. Her brother eats his food noisily and she keeps glancing at the front doors of the reesturant. I looked back at the doors when she wasn't looking. She excused herself to use the bathroom and walked away, leaving me behind with her brother. He looks up at me, distaste in his eyes. _I heard by the way._

_I'm not surprised, _I mutter, trying to look at the menu, trying to distract myself. But it was useless. I knew he was going to keep this going.

_Why didn't you tell her? I know. You know. Why couldn't you just tell her? She's been going about it for the past couple of weeks, but ever since that, she's been really quiet about it. I figured that she'd be gushing about how you two started going out and everything. Sort of prepped myself for the stories but..._His eyes narrowed. _Nothing came. Why?_

_I'm a monster! _I hiss. _Don't you see? I do love her! I really do! No matter what I do, I keep thinking about her. The way she smiles, the way she makes me laugh, the way she dresses, the way she smells, the way she looks...despite every feeling that I have for her, I just can't tell her anything, alright?_

_Now you're just being a jerk ass_ he says, rolling his eyes. _Either that, or just a total pussy. _

_I'm not-_

_Don't deny it until it happens. _He gets up, pushing his plate of leftover chili fries to him. _Take the rest. I'm not hungry anymore. _

_Where are you going?_

_Washing my hands. My hands feel all sticky. _He head to the bathroom and I sat there, picking at the chili fries. The chili slopped off the greasy fry and I put it down with disgust, taking a sip of my soda. The door ringed, signaling another person was here to eat some food or drink some of the resturant's infamous coffee. I heard footsteps next to me, then a pause.

_Excuse me..._

I look up, seeing a guy around my age, with blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a soft blue polo shirt and beige slacks. He looked like one of the kids that went to Gwen's school. Stuck up, snobbish and rich. _Yeah?_

_Have you seen a girl with long red hair? Green eyes? I looked around here, but I can't find her. _

I frowned, a little annoyed. _Uh...no. I haven't, _I lie. My eyes shift to the bathroom doors, hoping that she wouldn't pop out of the doors anytime soon. _What for?_

_Ah, just a little rendez-vous. Nothing too important. She goes to my school. She had asked me to come here and introduce herself to her brother and a friend, but...I can't seem to find her. Well. Guess not then. Plenty of other girls to-_ He cut off and I feared for the worse. She walked out of the bathroom, her eyes meeting the blond guy's. She smiled. _Ah, there you are. I was afraid that you had stood me up._

Her eyes narrowed. _Oh, really? Never Michael. I would never stood up to you. I..._She made a cute, confused look, the one that she made when she thought of something._ Is that the correct way of saying it?_

He laughed, taking her hand. I felt like leaping out of my seat and ripping that hand off of her. Wanted to rip his throat out and-

Gwen turned off the DVD player and my mind switched back to reality. I looked at her, confused. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Just..." she trailed off, pursing her lips. "Just watching this. It...makes me feel so stupid."

"How so?" I stared at her in shock. "Stupid is something that I wouldn't put you as. Gwen, you have straight A's. You're in all AP classes, you're in the Honor's Society and Harvard and Yale keep sending you letters, like, every month. How-"

"How naive and stupid I was about Michael. I used him as a way to get to you. I wanted to make you jealous, that way you knew that I really wanted you to be my boyfriend, show you that someone could take me as their own instead. I made you jealous, clearly, but I wound up getting hurt because of that. And for what? Something I could've just waited on."

I smiled. "I remember you telling me about this before. And what did I say?"

Her lips parted, making that confused face. "I...don't remember."

I held her close to me, leaning back on my couch. She laid on top of me, her hair sprawling out across my chest, her scent of English creme, vanilla and sandalwood washing over me, warm and comforting. I closed my eyes, stroking her soft hair. "None of that matters now. You're my girl now. And nothing's going to change that."

* * *

A/N: Meh. Was thinking about doing it longer, but then I was like, "Nah. The ending of this is worth working on it more." So hopefully the ending doesn't suck...REVIEW PLEASE :D


	43. Circle

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 'cause MoA does. There ya go :)

A/N: Brooke has an account (bbillings2013) :D Yey xD Now she's gonna critize every non-Bevin thing I do :p Yey me :D Ahaha but anyway, I wanted to do something a little different: Exploring Gwen's magic powers :) Or mana or...whatever. Just whatever :P Well, thanks for the reviews and let's get this thing going _shall we_?

Big Damn Table

43. Circles

She sat on the worn, rusted metal, the cool summer breeze teasing her long auburn hair. Her eyes glowed a deep, pulsing magenta as she scanned her surroundings. Everything to her was so beautiful and magical. Streams of colorful energy signatures were around the broke-down warehouse factory, some old wisps, some new bright and vibrant colors. The new ones seemed to have a strong beat to theirs, being created from an earlier time. Apparently, she wasn't the only one that came here. Older ones, from the people that had either worked here, were small and thin, but still seeming to pulse with energy.

Everything was so surreal and amazing. Only she was able to experience something like this. She wasn't like every other human. In her veins was the spirit of an energy being. She _was_ an energy being, just hidden in human, fragile skin.

Her thoughts seemed to spin in **circles**, mixing with happiness and pure joy. She still tried to keep a focused mind though. She was here for a reason, and that was to find one particular energy signature. Her eyes searched through the rich reds, bright oranges, lime greens and deep purples. Suddenly her eyes caught on one particular signature, hooked onto it like a magnet with her heart seeming to leap out of her chest. She jumped down by the short metal garage and landed gracefully on her feet. Her body passed through a neon pink signature, swept up in a sugary-sweet and warm aura. She felt her body lighten instantly.

She rushed giddily to the one signature, passing through the different auras and energies, being swept up with so many emotions and senses. One by one they passed by, one emotion after another. One bored her instantly, a dull gray one. Another one, a mellow green, made her calm, her pace slowing. Once she found the one that she wanted, her emotion of happiness was all on her own.

It was one of the older ones, but still alive and pulsing with energy. It was a rich, deep dark blue like navy. It moved gently with the breeze as if a piece of silk had been blown away by the wind. It was irresistible and beautiful, such a strong presense that she just wanted to jump right through it. But she had to be careful with this one. It was entirely fragile. Just like she had proved before, running through them made her crazy high or absolutely miserable.

With this one, she had to be extremely careful. No matter what. _No exceptions._

She lifted a hand over the stream, closing her eyes. She felt the heat projecting from it, the heat like a slowly burning flame. She took a deep, comforting breath, then released all the tension that was building. She murmured the enchanting words, the spell finally coming alive. "Laiks, ņem mani uz pagātni, pagātnes, ko satur šī cilvēka domas, jūtas un emocijas. Paņem mani tagad!"

The spell lightened her body, making her feel completely weightless. She felt sizzles of sweet, pure energy in her heart, moving through her veins like lava. Her eyes still tightly closed, she saw a light pass through the darkness, seeing a new gap. She was thrown into another time, another place.

Within seconds, she felt her body snap back as everything stopped. She opened her eyes. She felt dirt and rubble under her. She felt heavy, her head pounding like a drum. She felt pissed off, tired and wanted to get out of there.

Then she realized something.

She was in Kevin's mind. She was sharing his body and mind. She felt his emotions and every feeling that coursed through his body. She in one body, mind and soul. She couldn't believe it...

Kevin was pissed off as Magister Labrid and Ben pressured him to tell them about the alien tech he was selling. He was only trying to get some money out of it, get a decent shower in a hotel. Gwen felt her heart sink as she remembered when she saw him again when she was 14. He was so torn up, probably alone, with no money on him and no one to help support him. How could he manage to live like that?

His eyes locked on the red head. What was her name...Jennifer?

Gwen rolled her eyes. Not even close. Sure, it could be shortened to Jen, which _did _rhyme with Gwen, but still. Not even close. His thoughts cut her off again.

That girl wasn't bugging him. She picked at her long hair still, trying to get alien slime out of her hair. Kevin liked this girl. She was ignoring him, not paying attention to much. He liked that. Ben Tennyson and that fish guy was still a pain in the ass though. He wished that they could get rid of those cuffs and let him go. As much as that wasn't going to happen, he really wanted to.

"Kevin. People could get hurt."

Gwen jumped a little at the swoop of emotion that coursed through him. Shock and surprise, a little anger. Then he was relaxed, watching the soft features of her pale, heart-shaped face. His dark obsidian eyes were hooked on her emerald ones. She was really pretty...kind of soft too, her hand tentatively touching his broad shoulder. Then he remembered. The long strands of red hair. The bright green eyes. The touch.

That was the girl that helped him after that fi-

She snapped back, her mind and spirit flying out of the past and into the present. Her body fell onto the dirty ground, landing with a thump. Her skull smacked against the pebbles and she groaned. Her head throbbed, from the pain of falling or using her power, she wasn't sure. She picked herself up on her elbows and rubbed her head where it hit against the ground. "Ouch...that hurt like a bitch."

"So you saw?"

She turned around. Kevin stood on the metal building where Gwen once sat, smiling casually like they were just hanging out. "Uh...yeah. I saw it. You were watching me?"

"You seemed sort of out of it, that's all." Kevin jumped down, landing on his feet like Gwen had. "Then I remembered your abilites. You can see into the past by someone's energy signature." He walked toward her, offering a hand. She took it gratefully and he lifted her up onto her feet. "It's pretty cool, what you do. I'm surprised Ben's not totally jealous of what you can do."

"He doesn't need to be. He has 1,000,083 different aliens to choose from, not counting the ones that we saved from Agreggor."

"True. Very true. But _he _can't see into the past, can't he?"

"Nope. Probably not."

Kevin chuckled. "That's what I thought." He threw an arm around her shoulder. "C'mon. You must be pretty tired, walking all the way over here."

"I rode my bike."

"Oh..." Kevin smiled sweetly. Almost too sweetly. "So that was your bike..."

"Ohmigosh, Kevin what did you do?"

* * *

A/N: He ran over it with his car, that's what xD Well, maybe that didn't come out as well as I thought, but whatever. Not a problem :P Review!


	44. Square

Disclaimer: Don't own sucka :3

A/N: Well, the Towson University and UMBC field trip for AoF was a LOT of fun :) There's a few jokes in here that come from that. Especially the first one :P Well hope you enjoy the randomness of it all!

Big Damn Table

44. Squares

"Dude. I'm sweating more than a pedophile at a Justin Bieber concert."

Gwen rolled her eyes at Kevin, waving her twenty second paper fan in front of her face. "I don't want to know..." Gwen muttered under her breath, looking away from her boyfriend in disgust. She really didn't want that image in her mind. Sadly it stuck, imprinting on her mind and she fought a grin at the image that played in her mind. Then she imagined Ben...ew.

Gwen and Kevin were in Kevin's garage. Kevin was fixing his car and Gwen relaxed on the bench, reading a book. They were 20 and 19 now, in their college years, just meeting each other over the summer. Things had never changed. They still went to Mr. Smoothy's, they went down to the beach and Kevin fixed his car with whatever spare time that they had.

"Hey guys! Lookie at what I found!"

Gwen and Kevin quietly groaned to themselves. Ben was still with them too. Sadly, there were still things that hadn't changed over the years...

"What is it now Tennyson?" Kevin grumbled, wiping sweat and oil from his forehead. When he saw Ben walking into the garage, he quickly chucked the dirty rag at Ben's face, laughing. Gwen laughed along too as Ben made a face, tossing the towel away. Kevin and Gwen's eyes moved to Ben's hands, seeing that he was holding something. Their hearts stopped at what they saw in his hands.

"I was cleaning your room Kev, and I found that these were open. So I was kinda curious..."

Ben took out a small teal foil **square **out of the rectangular box he was holding. "I found these really cool ballons! They're really weird. It's got this really weird gooey stuff on it. Kinda warm."

Gwen's face flamed in humiliation, looking down. Kevin was frozen in shock, his face as red as Gwen's hair.

Ben ripped open the package, taking out a clear object. He blew on it and Gwen shook, almost about to explode with laughter and tears. Kevin pursed his lips, not so shocked this time. Actually, he was tempted to get his cell phone and post a video of this on Youtube.

Ben blew it up, the object inflating like a large ballon. Ben tied it up, flicking at it. "Yeah, it's kinda gross because of the slime, but...it's actually kind of cool. Where'd you get this Kevin? I want some too!"

Kevin pursed his lips. "You can...buy them at any drug store."

"Really? Where? Normally I can't find these at a drug store."

"You aren't looking hard enough apparently."

Gwen looked up with a red face and quivering lips. She was trying hard not to laugh and cry at the same time. "Ben..."

"Yeah Gwen?"

"You...didn't read the box did you?"

"Oh! Duh, guess not huh? That would be easier." Ben flipped the box over to see the front. "Oh let's see now. Trojan condoms. Fire and Ice. Oh. OK. Now I know where they are." Ben handed the box back to Kevin with an expressionless face, then stepped back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go over there in puke in that bush over there..."

* * *

A/N: Muhhahahaha xD I had too much fun with this...And if you're wondering how I know about condoms? I see the commericals. That's the only reason that I know of them. Seriously people. C'mon. Review :)


	45. Star

Disclaimer: Screw it. See the last 44 chapters. You know the drill...

A/N: DAMMIT FANFICTION WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? Ugh! I try to see the reviews and it says there's an error. Can't see any new chapters of anything 'cause there an error RIGHT -HONK-ing THERE! *screams in frustration* sigh. Well. And I guess I still have to do that stupid fluoride thing for dentist appointments. You know...when they put that tray with the really flavored foamy stuff on that tray and tell you not to swallow it otherwise you get a tummy ache and you somehow manage to get that eensy-weensy bit down and your stomach goes wild for hours? Yeah, that T.T Well, this is just another Devin and Olivia one :) Having _way _too much fun with these two...C'MON 10.10.10 COME QUICK! This is driving me insannnnne Dx

Big Damn Table

45. Stars

Humans were such interesting creatures. They believed in religions of their own creation, putting faith into another larger figure's hands. Now that humans were discovering different technologies, they were becoming distracted from the nature that was provided on Earth, not providing a single thought to anything that it gave them so that they could survive.

Olivia was one of the few humans that truely cared about the Earth. She wasn't practically obsessed like the "hippies", but she understood how much of an importance Mother Nature was for everyone to exist on that planet. She would bring him all the time to this broken down warehouse factory, riding their bikes instead of poisoning the fragile air with gas and thick smoke. Then they would lay on the ground, just staring at the **stars **and she would point out what the humans called "constellations." Each constellation represented a figure that the past humans had seen with their own eyes, made forever as a famous figure that was imprinted in the night sky for millenniums to come.

Devin's eyes would glance away from the sky, meeting Olivia's amazing gaze, the one thing on Earth that made him feel absolutely breathless. Then Olivia would bite her bottom lip, looking back at the stars again. Devin could feel the pulse esclate and he would look at the stars too.

They both knew that there was an attraction. It would be stupid and foolish to deny it.

But why was it so hard to just admit it? Admit the attraction that they had for each other?

It was such a human thing, feeling this complex emotion. He knew that it was physically impossible, but he felt his stomach twist and his heart about to beat right out of his chest. Maybe he shouldn't say anything. Maybe this was something that he should just feel. It was such an amzing feeling, being in love, wanting to be with someone so much. They both knew, right? They both felt about each other the same way, so it was just as amazing as anything else. There was nothing else that made him feel so...powerful.

All he needed to really have was her and the stars above them.

* * *

A/N: Meh. Short and simple :) Checked updates on my email to see the reviews and I saw that you guys REALLY like the Square one xD I was giggling the whole time as I wrote it...it was really funny to type :) Well, keep the reviews coming you guys! :D


	46. Moon

Disclaimer: DON'T OWN! *scrams*

A/N: So many reviews! *gushes* Aw...but I feel kinda bad 'cause I scared off Sky O.O Sad face :( But heck, you know wha? I got plenty of good reviews from you guys and that's all I really need :D Welll since I've done so many Gwevin and other stuff, I'm gonna do something DIFFERENT. Max and Verdona :D Should be fun...

Big Damn Table

46. Moon

The full **moon**'s light casted a silver lining along her pale skin. She moved gracefully and elegantly against the grass. The cold winds carried the smell of damp earth and withering wildflowers, teasing her long, platinum waves of hair.

He watched her with interest and a tad bit of embarrassment. He held the red metal box filled with fishing supplies and Plumber gear in one hand, and a fishing pole held tightly in the other. His cheeks were flushed, but not just from the cold. The young woman was gorgeous, worth to do anything to have...and completely unclothed.

Wasn't this girl cold at all? Or just being a rebel teenager, running away from home and doing whatever crazy idea popped up in her mind?

He furrowed his eyebrows, leaning forward. The bush that hid him rustled under his heavy, long jacket and he jumped back, the metal box tumbling loudly to the ground. He pursed his lips, keeping absolutely still, hearing that her footsteps have stopped.

"Hello?" She had a mystic voice, the sound seeming to echo in the forest. "Who's there?"

He couldn't be a coward. He learned that when he was 15 years old, ready to join the Plumbers society. Hiding wasn't going to help with anything at all. So he stood up, dropping the fishing pole. He kept his gaze on her heart shaped face, his cheeks probably cherry red. "Who are you?"

The girl smirked. She tilted her head to the side, her bright jade eyes twinkling mischievously. "I did not know that this area was claimed by one particular person." She straightened up, his eyes still magnetized on her eyes. The long waves of silver-blond hair that covered half her chest was brished back by the slight movement, the hair now cascading down her shoulders. He felt irritated. This girl's flirtation wasn't going to get to him. She was obviously looking for a little trouble. "What is your name?"

"Maxwell Tennyson." He cleared his throat. "Aren't you cold at all?"

She looked down, almost fascinated when she noticed the tiny bumps that grazed her skin. She brushed her fingers against her arms tentatively, then looked up. "No. I am in perfect condition."

He shoke his head. He unbuttoned his long coat, shrugging it off him. "Put this on. Then we have to talk."

She caught it, staring at the plaid fabric, handling it like it was made of expensive silk. "What is this?"

"A coat. You know. Put your arms through the sleeves, button them."

"Oh. Of course." She slipped her arms through the sleeves and Max kept his gaze on her face. _Don't look down Max. Whatever you do, don't look down._ Once she finished the last button and the coat covered her legs almost to her knees and the sleeves hid her hands, Max realized the size difference between them. She was smaller by a few inches, lean and fit. He had wider, broader shoulders, taller height and more muscled, toned body. "I am a little warmer than I was before. Thank you for such a gesture."

"No problem."

"Are you not cold?"

Max looked down. He wore his plastic mud brown fishing boots, black baggy pants and a red long sleeved shirt. "I feel warm. Now c'mon. We need to talk."

* * *

They entered the warm diner, surrounded by the sounds of fast-paced jazz from the jukebox and the smell of greasy hamburgers that were tossed onto the stove. The place wasn't very busy. A teen couple shared a plate of chili fries and a milkshake in the corner of the restaurant, enjoying intimate conversation. Max looked at a lone table in the middle of the diner. "Let's sit here."

"That will be fine then." The girl walked to the table by herself, sitting in the chair and looked around. Max sat across from her and picked up a menu.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No. Not really." She rose an eyebrow. "Why are you so concerned about my health? Do you pity me?"

"P-Pity you? No, no, no, of course not. It's just strange, seeing a nude girl walking around in a forest alone, late at night. I just have some questions about what you were doing."

She tilted her head, pursing her pretty flawless lips together. "Are you this kind and concerned for all strangers? I would not be so...helpful to others that I do not know."

"Mmm. Well. We have something different in mind, don't we?" Max asked with a smirk. "So. You may be wondering why I brought you here."

"That is my exact thought at the moment."

"Well, let's look at this shall we." He leaned in closer, keeping is voice to a whisper. "I happen to see a nude girl in the forest alone at night, just walking around all casually like it's a morning walk." He smirked. "To most people, that's a bit strange."

The girl smirked right back. "Well. I'm not like most people."

_Got that right_, he thought with a roll of his eyes. "Why were you outside? It's really cold and you weren't wearing anything. All I want to know is why."

She stared at him long and hard. Her eyes were like dark green beach glass. Beautiful and filled with light, but still sharp. "Why am I any of your concern, I wonder?"

"I am a very nice person that has a concern for others' safety. Why were you outside?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I just wanted to feel free for once. To feel everything around me, to feel no boundaries." She looked at the menu, raising an eyebrow. "So you are going to tend to me now? Feed me?"

"It's the best thing to do," Max sighed. "I _did _drag you here."

She laughed softly, the sound seeming to make him lighter. "Very true." She picked up the menu and opened it, making a face. She poked at the plastic cover on the menu. "This is...really sticky."

"Yeah, it is," Max chuckled. "It tends to be sticky when you're in a resturant. Probably from all the grease from the cooking." He picked out a bacon cheeseburger and a soda, putting the menu down and wondering where the waiter or the waitress was. "So. Are you new here?"

"Yes. I am a transfer student."

"From where?"

"California."

Max rose an eyebrow. "What's a big state girl like you doing in such a small town?"

"My parents wanted to explore smaller towns." She sighed heavily. "So far, I am not missing California. It is so busy and loud. There are so many celebrites that live there too, so you see a lot of cameras everywhere."

"Sounds pretty amazing if you ask me." He smiled. "Have you chosen anything?"

"The...burger sounds good. The chocolate milkshake does as well."

"Good, good," Max nodded. "So. I have two more questions, then you can bug me for the rest of the night."

She laughed. "I think I will enjoy this. Go on."

"First question. What school are you attending?"

"Bellwood High School."

Max grinned. "I'm attending that school. Ok...next question. What's your name?"

"Verdona."

What an unique, gorgeous name. He pursed his lips. If Verdona stayed in California, she would have become an actress. She was exceptionally gorgeous and she had an amazing voice. Something told him that she would have an amazing singing voice as well.

"It's nice to have you here Verdona."

"You too Maxwell."

"Please...uh...call me Max."

Verdona smiled. "Max...alright. Glad to meet such a fine young man like you."

* * *

A/N: Didn't know how to end it, so I ended it there ^^; It's a first try! Don't get me wrong! SO, hope you guys review and give me some honest words of wisdom to help me ^^ Two more weeks until 10.10.10 peoples!


	47. Diamond

Disclaimer: Don't own. Nah.

A/N: Oh my gosh :D Glee...why can't you let Heather Morris have more solos? She's an amazing dancer and singer. She was awesome! "It's Brittney...bitch." xD And all the glee kids getting high off of the sleeping gas that the dentist gave them provided many funny moments. I laughed my ass off at the David After Dentist reference with Rachel ("Is...this real life...?"). And Rachel killed "Only Exception." And in a bad way...urgh. But enough about Glee. It's Ben 10 time bitches xD A girls' best friend...ANOTHER GWEVIN ONE BROOKE. IN YO FACE BIZNATCH xD

Big Damn Table

47. Diamond

It was glaring at him. It was a shiny, clear rock. That's all that it was. Just a rock. Why did it have so much value? Girls swoon about it whenever they see it. You saw it in jewelry ads and magazines. There's even a god damned _song_ about it. He really couldn't wrap his mind around it.

Kevin stared at the** diamond **ring in the big display. It was surronded by a bunch of other expensive jewelry, like sapphieres and pink diamonds, everything bright, shiny and glimmering under the bright lights from the ceiling. A lot of stuff that looked like it cost some serious moolah. Kevin sighed, ruffling his hair. _Why am I even here? It's not like I'm really buying anything..._

He was walking around the mall, then he saw an ad in the front of the jewelry store that had a couple spinning around all happy with a big ol' chunk of diamond on the girl's finger. Then he realized that the girl was wearing a long white dress and the guy was wearing a tux. _Wait a...__Oh. Right. Engagement. That's a long time from now, dumbass_ Kevin thought with a heavy frown. He sighed again, leaning against the glass counter. His eyes searched the earrings, necklaces and rings, pursing his lips.

Gwen and Kevin had been going out for a whole year now. Gwen was off at a taekwondo tournament a few hours away, then was having a meeting with the FBLA an hour afterwards. That left Kevin alone to come up with something to do for the day. He was thinking of buying something for her, but what?

Girls liked shiny, glittery, expensive things. Anything cute. He knew that much. But Gwen was different from other girls. Cute, glitterly, and shiny wasn't going to cut it for this girl. Expensive, maybe. Then he remembered.

_You don't have to go out of your way to buy stuff for me. All I need is you._

That's exactly what she said when he asked her about her sixteenth birthday present. What she said had always made him happy whenever he thought about it, but...he really didn't know what to do. Present or no present?

Then it hit him. He didn't _need _to buy her anything. She just needed him. She needed...

"Shit! Why didn't I think of this before?" He made it out of the store, dashing to the parking lot. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..."

* * *

Gwen tucked a sweaty strand of hair from her eyes, sighing heavily. She took the towel from one of her teammates, sitting down on the plush mat.

"We're _so_going to win this," Kaity Coons squealed, hugging Gwen. "You're kicking Gregory Hills High's ass! I've only gotten one..."

"Don't worry about it," Gwen smiled. "I've seen that you have a good tackle in practice. You just need to loosen up more. You're so nervous that you tense up. You need to control your mind, body and-"

"Oh please." Rayvn Clark snorted, rolling her eyes. "This isn't karate _Gwendolyn._"

Gwen glared at her. Ever since Gwen had joined into prep school, Rayvn had been acting like the alpha female. Even in freshmen year, Rayvn acted al tough and smart, even though she quit soccer and softball last year and nearly failed Honors Geometry. "Even so, learning how to relax your body helps yourself focus and concentrate on your opponents' attacks."

"Whatever. So where's your bad boy Gwendolyn?" she sneered. "He's not here to cheer you on. Some boyfriend _he _is."

"And what's your excuse?" Kaity hissed. Gwen fought a laugh. Kaity was usually a shy girl in front of people, but once she was fired up, you didn't want to piss her off.

"My boyfriend is on an internship right now," Rayvn sniffed, not at all disturbed. "At least I have a guy, unlike you, B-T-W."

"Wow. Acroynms. Way to go Rayvn. You're now resolving to speaking text now."

"Can you shut up dumb bitch? Trying to fry _me, _you're only going to get yourself burned."

"Oh really?"

"Believe it Curly-Q."

Kaity was about to pounce, but with a stern clear of Gwen's throat, Kaity just rolled her eyes and sat back. "What a dumb bitch. She knows that your boyfriend works at the auto shop."

"It's his day off. I'm giving him a break. He doesn't have to come."

"Hopefully he has something romantic planned!" Kaity exclaimed, still fired up from Rayvn. "It's your one year anniversary, isn't it?"

"Mmhm."Gwen pursed her lips, trying to keep herself by letting out a massive girly giggle. It _was _their one year anniversary. She was going to just do what she had to do that day, the tournament and the FBLA meeting. Then she was going home, take a long, comforting bath and wear something amazing. Then go on the best date ever. Of course, Kevin didn't know about this date yet, but still...

"You're blushing Gwen," Kaity giggled, punching her lightly on the shoulder. "You're day-dreaming aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Gwen laughed, shaking her head. "That's a silly question."

"Oh, you're up again!" Kaity perked up. "Good luck!"

Gwen took a deep breath. It just seemed like only a few seconds ago that she won the tenth round. She was beginning to feel the cramp in her wrist from throwing people over her shoulder three times in a row. She couldn't give up though. She learned that from fighting all of those villans that's she had fought over the years that she just could _not _give up.

She stepped up to the large mat, meeting her new opponent. The second to last one that she had to fight. She bowed down, watching his features. He had a confident taut of his strong jaw and he smirked as he bowed down with her. There was a silver lining against the black belt that was tied tightly against his waist. She had never seen that before...maybe something that he added to it? To intimidate his opponents? It just wasn't working for her.

"Good luck," he muttered. "I'll go a little easy on you. You know...since you're a girl."

"How many times have I heard that before?" she countered, tilting her head slightly. Her body itched forward, ready to grab at him. _Relax the mind...ease the body...tone the focus..._

"So I take it that you wanna take it?"

"Not in the way that you want it."

He glared at her, baring his teeth. "You are so going _down_."

"Fight!" the sensei called, bringing down his hand. Just like that, her opponent swooped at her, chopping his fist through the air once she dodged. He let out a growl and Gwen smirked, stepping back.

"It thought it was always ladies' first," she cooed. She dodged the next pounce, spinning to face his back. She grabbed his collar, pressing her back firmly into his. Then with as much force as she could muster, she let out a cry and swung him over her shoulder. With the speed of her throw and the force that she put into it, he hit the mat pretty damn hard. The sensei nodded in approval, pointing to Gwen.

"Victory!"

People cheered for her and she grinned. She looked down at her fallen opponent, offering a hand. "I didn't get your name."

"Piss off dumb ass bitch," he hissed, batting her hand away. He picked himself up, limping over to his school's side of the stadium. Gwen rolled her eyes, heading back to Kaity. Kaity greeted her with a bear hug.

"Congrats Gwen! And guess who's here?"

Gwen pulled away, eyes widening. She instantly knew, but she still felt total shock. "Who?"

"GWEN!"

Gwen looked up to the bleachers, letting out a sharp gasp. "Kevin?"

Kevin excused himself as he walked down the bleachers, grinning. Then he walked to her and Gwen ran toward him.

"Kevin, you aren't allowed to be on the court!" Gwen sighed. She really felt happy though. Her heart was beating in her chest frantically and she felt super light. Kevin was here, watching her...

"I know," he grinned. "I tend to ignore the rules." He pulled her into a hug and she blushed from the gesture and from the annoyed, interested eyes of the people in the stadium. "You've been kicking some major ass. I saw that performance and I remembered how much of a kick-ass girl you are. That, and that you should never be pissed off."

"So you saw?"

"I've seen the last three times, to be honest," he admitted sheepishly. "I got here later than I thought. So that's the last person?"

She looked over her shoulder. One of the top fighters on her team was brought up to the mat. She smiled. "It's going to be an easy win." She looked back at him, grinning. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought that you were going to hang out, do whatever."

"Well...I thought about a lot of things. I knew you aren't one of those girls that don't want any presents for your birthday. Remember? All you need is me."

"You...remember that?" she asked in awe, cheeks as red as her hair.

"Yeah." He leaned in, in front of the hundred spectors in the stadium. "And I thought...what better way as a present is supporting what your girlfriend loves to do?" Then with that, in front of anything else, he kissed her.

* * *

A/N: 8D Awwww xD Took me a long time to do this for some odd reason O.O hmm...well, I see that people haven't really liked the Max and Verdona one :l Hopefully you like this one...REVIEW!


	48. Heart

Disclaimer: Whatever man.

A/N: Oh my goodness! bree tennyson, why haven't you been there when I was writing Diamond? Ha ha :P Her suggestion was really cute and I was like "Damn. Missed it." But it happens, you know? There's always that one good idea that slips by and you're like "Damn! Why didn't I think of that?" So yeah...this is a sequel to Diamond, because it just wasn't enough for me today :D Idea came up a few minutes ago...

Big Damn Table

48. Heart

They had a really great night. After Gwen was done with her tournament, Kevin dropped her off at her FBLA meeting at her school and waited for her as the meeting was happening. Then they drove to her house and they tended to themselves before meeting each other at the Pier. After stuffing their faces with sticky, sweet cotton candy and rode gut-wrenching wooden roller coasters, Gwen made the suggestion of heading to her house. She added the fact that her parents weren't going to be home until midnight and Kevin's male hormones were raging against what was right in Kevin's mind.

It was there one year anniversary. They trusted each other completely, knowing their boundries and when not and when to cross them. But Kevin knew that those sort of..._ideas _weren't supposed to be brought up. What would happen to Gwen? She was trying to enter into Harvard, trying to get a master's degree in Biological and biomedical studies and trying to pave a pathway to a job that she wanted.

When Kevin walked into Gwen's room, he knew that he would _not _step over those boundries. No matter how hard it was for a seventeen year old teen boy.

Gwen took her long hair out of her pinned up bun, shaking it out. It tumbled down in soft, cascading waves. She shrugged out of her lace cardigan, showing off her elegant shoulders. Kevin sat at her desk, trying to not watch as she tried to get comfortable. As she slipped out of her boots, Kevin looked at the things on her desk. A Calc II textbook, three college ruled paper notebooks, almost about to explode with notes and papers, a case of pencils and "Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He frowned. "You're really busy."

"Yeah. That's only stuff that I've been leaving on my desk from yesterday. My locker's worse, no matter how many times I organize it. It's terrible." She sighed, her footsteps muted by the plush carpet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling into his neck. Kevin smiled, closing his eyes. "Thank you for such a great time Kevin."

"You had to keep pulling me away from the booths," he chuckled. "That way I couldn't win you anything. I kept teasing you about getting those massive ones for you, that way you'd be carrying some creepy Huggie-Bear around."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah." She pulled away. "Hey...I remember this." She loosened her arms from his neck and walked to her bookshelf. Kevin watched her as she got on her tiptoes to reach the cardboard box on the third shelf. She grabbed it, opening the lid. She grinned. "Check it out."

Kevin got up and walked over to peek inside the box. He rose an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"Ex-boyfriend stuff. I did this my freshman year...It's so hard to believe now, that I did this." She plopped down on the bed and started taking out stuff from the shoebox. He sat down next to her, seeing all the scattered objects. He picked up one. It was a really cheap looking necklace with a key on it. When he looked close enough, he saw a **heart **tied into the top part of the key. He snickered.

"What's this? A key to your ex's heart or whatever?"

Gwen saw it, smiling. "Ah, yeah. I remember that. Aaron in eighth grade. We went out for a few days, then he broke up, saying that we had an 'awkward connection.'" She rolled her eyes. "The next one after that was even _worse_." She held up a folded note. She unfolded it, clearing her throat. "'Dearst Gwen. We have been having such a wonderful time together as a couple. We had such a flare, a passionate fire that burned within our souls. But as you know, the most intellegent girl that I dare know of, all fires fade away. I am terribly sorry to say this but-'"

Kevin couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing, holding his sides. "Wh-what the-" he sputtered between laughs.

Gwen waited for him to calm down, pursing her lips from joining in with him. "Yeah...Eric Harpman. He was in my freshman year. He wanted to be the first 14 year old male romantic novelist. He moved last year, so I have no idea where his dreams are leading him." She rose an eyebrow. "Oh. There's a heart on here to."

"I'm seeing a trend here."

"Me too." She picked up an old folder that was covered in Sharpie. There were hearts _all _over it. "Jim Hart. OK, ignoring how ironic that last name is, he was still a total douche bag to me. We went out over the summer after eighth grade and as soon as we entered freshman year, he broke up with me, saying that he liked me as a friend. Over a text message. Then he dated some other girl shortly after."

"Wow. I would call him a bastard, but hey. I'll leave Karma in charge and just leave it at that." Kevin pursed his lips as if he was in thought. Gwen watched him, then blushed as his finger lightly grazed her bare shoulder.

"What...are you doing?"

Kevin started to trace a circle on her shoulder, eyes focused on his fingers. "A heart can keep you alive, sure. It makes sure that you're alive, but well...so does your brain. A heart can stop. It can be crushed. It can die. But a circle? It never ends. It always keeps going. There's never an end to a circle. I have no idea why people symbolize love with a heart. Stupid really..." He looked up, smiling shyly. "Did that...sound good?"

Gwen smiled. She really loved this boy. She really did.

* * *

A/N: *sigh* Even when I'm single, I can come up with sappy stuff like that xD I amaze myself...REVIEW! Almost eleven away from 100 reviews and 10 days away from 10.10.10! :DDD SO EXCITED!


	49. Club

Disclaimer: If I was MoA, we wouldn't be waiting until 10.10.10 to see Ultimate Aggregor T.T Seriously. Or The Pretty Reckless :( Sadly don't own them either...

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I've been super duper uber busy over the past couple days with school and the whole house came down with a serious stomach virus...even my poor baby bro, and he's never been sick! Poor guy :( Well, I'm still in that light-headed phase and my tummy has still been flipping around, so my mind's kind of spinning with random ideas. So if this seems like a not-well put together stroy, my bad! And hey, you guys know ParamoreXO right? Check out her stuff! She did a suggestion written from me and it's sooo good! :D Thanks ParamoreXO! *Ahem* Anyway...onward to the story! And when the song starts coming along, listen to "Make Me Wanna Die" by Pretty Reckless. 'Cause that's the song...

Big Damn Table

49. Club

"I can't dance Ben. _At all_."

Ben smirked at Kevin, examining him. Kevin's jaw was taut, his knuckles pale white as he gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. "I don't see what the big deal is Kev. You danced with Gwen that one time, remember?"

Kevin's lips tugged up a little at the sweet memory. "Not very well. I kept stepping all over the hem of her dress."

"But she didn't mind, from what I've heard."

"Really now?"

"Yup."

Kevin smiled a little more, a confident flash in his eyes. "Well. Let's see what she thinks about my jumping and fist pumping when we're all rocking out."

Ben laughed, shaking his head. "Those are the only two moves that you have?"

"Those are the two moves that us guys know, right?"

"Well, yeah. But there's the worm too."

"You would Tennyson. You would."

Ben, Kevin, Gwen and Julie were going to a local **club **in downtown Bellwood. The Pretty Reckless were visiting, and it was definitely an expensive RSVP performance. Fortunately enough, Ben's fame won them a front row pass for free. Kevin knew that Gwen was excited. The Pretty Reckless was the only good girl band that could be compared to Paramore. Well...OK, it was the second best. Paramore was hard to be topped...

"I know Gwen and Julie are freaking out right now..." Ben trailed off, looking out the window.

* * *

"Ohmigosh, I am _totally _freaking out right now!" Julie squealed happily, jumping up and down. The movement was difficult since the club's dance floor was so packed in.

"I know, right?" Gwen laughed, shaking her head. Her voice mixed with the excited buzzing of the people around them and the music from the stereos. Gwen reached into her purse, sighing when she found that she had forgot her compact mirror back home. "Forgot my compact. Do you have yours?"

Julie held up her hands, showing that she was empty handed. "You want to go to the bathroom? I'll wait here."

Gwen rose an eyebrow. "And you're okay with that?"

"Sure thing. Besides," she laughed. "Once Ben arrives, this crowd is going to part like the Red Sea and I won't be alone. So no big. Freshen yourself up. You got 30 minutes of free time anyway."

Gwen looked at the small stage at the front of the club. People were setting up the equipment, plugging in speakers and testing the strums of the guitars. The Pretty Reckless were probably getting ready in the back rooms. "OK. I won't be long." She excused herself as she made her way through the crowd and stumbled out. She looked over her shoulder to find the space she had left from exiting through had closed up again. She smiled, shaking her head and head to the bathroom.

The bathroom wasn't like the ones that you find in public restaurants. It wasn't pearly white and smelling like sewage and lemon scented floor cleaner. The walls were painted black and caught the bright red light from the strobes above. The stalls were sleek and painted a deep red. The floor was a black glossy marble, also reflecting the red flashing lights. She looked at her self in the oval shaped mirror, smiling. "Fancy bathroom..." she murmured. Her body seemed to pulse along with the deep bass that matched the blinking lights in the room.

She began teasing her hair a little before there was a loud cough from the stalls. Gwen jumped, looking around. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Not really," the person answered miserably.

"Oh, uh...I'm sorry."

"It's alright." The voice was heavy and thick, like the person was very sick. Gwen frowned. She felt really bad for the person, but...what could she do?

She starting singing "Make Me Wanna Die", trying to think about the performance that was soon to happen. She was seriously excited about being up close to Taylor Momsen. She had been reading the Gossip Girl series for a long time, always being dragged into Jenny Humphery's life, then when the series came in, Gwen had been excited to see the "real" Jenny. Sure, there was a total difference in appearance, but Gwen still loved the character.

"You have a great voice girly," the woman said from the stall. "Better than the one that I have now."

"Maybe it'll become better over time," Gwen said reassuringly. "You sound like you have a bad cold."

"Mmhm." A loud hacking cough. "You can say that again. I'm not totally thrilled about it."

"I can understand that."

There was a click of a stall door opening and Gwen's eyes found a figure approaching from the stall. She gasped at who the person was.

"No way."

* * *

Julie grinned once the crowd had parted, just like she said that it would. Ben and Kevin walked through the doors, Ben seeming to shine from his fame. Ben and Kevin found her and walked to her.

"Hey. Where's Gwen?"

"Oh, she's in the bathroom freshening up. I knew that you guys would found me," Julie said. She smiled shyly. "So...what do you think?"

Ben looked down, realizing Julie was a little more...dressed up for the occasion. She wore a light blue low cut lace top and black skirt with glossy black Mary-Janes. Her hair was pinned up in a bun with a dark blue clip. Kevin provided the words for the speechless Ben. "Looking good Jules. Still probably not as good as my Gwen, but still." Ben elbowed him, a blush on his face.

"Dude!"

"What? I'm speaking as a boyfriend here."

Julie laughed. "That's fine. I totally understand." She looked at the stage, squealing. "The only thing that they need on that stage is the band. I'm sooo freaking excited!"

"I know you are," Kevin laughed. "So, hey, doesn't this band have like, three songs or something?"

"They're singing more than that. They're doing other songs too. I heard something like Black Sheep."

"Who the hell is Black Sheep?"

"Someone did a cover of them a long time ago. I think it was in Scott Pilgrim the movie, or something like that..."

Ben looked up, seeing that the guys of the band were starting to come up on stage. "Hey, they're getting together. Gwen better hurry up."

"I'll text her," Julie nodded, taking out her phone. It instantly began buzzing in her hand.

See you in a few moments :D -Gwen

"She'll join us in a bit I guess," Julie frowned. She put the cell phone back in her pocket, crossing her arms. "So do we want any thing to drink?"

"Meh. I'm good for now," Kevin shrugged.

"Yeah. Besides, we're going to be jumping around all over the place anyway, so what good would a drink do?" Ben added.

"Wow. Ben's right. For once."

Ben glared at him. "You say that everytime I'm right about something."

"Which is a very rare occasion. Congrats man."

"Kevin Ethan Levin, I swear to God, one day I may just get all Ultimate Humongasaur on you and just rip your pretty bad boy face off."

Before Kevin could retort, Julie cut him off by squealing along with the crowd. "Oh my God, it's her!"

Taylor Momsen stepped up onto the stage, the bright lights casting a halo above her hair. She looked really nice, her long blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail and dressed in a black lace short dress with black flats. Though by the time that she had faced the audience, she did _not _look good. The eyeliner was caked heavily under her eyes and her face looked paler than normal. And once she spoke, that turned everyone down furthur. "Uh...hey guys," she croaked, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry about my voice. I wanted this to be an amazing performance and make you guys leave here excited about tonight but...I'm just not feeling well tonight."

She faced the back doors smiling. "But I stepped across something _pretty _freaking amazing. It was like, a miracle. Like I said, I want this to be an amazing performance. I'm not going to let you leave here empty handed. So. With that, I'll turn the mike over to our new guest."

The whole audience was pretty much in shock.

"Gwen's missing out on this," Kevin muttered.

Julie shook her head. "Uh uh. If I'd known better, I'd say that she isn't missing out on much."

Ben rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Julie grinned. "I've seen the movies. Gwen has amazing talent. I've heard her sing. And she hasn't been here for the past, what, twenty five minutes or so?"

"So you're saying that-"

Gwen stepped up on stage and every word that was mumbled was lost and frozen in the air. Gwen stepped up to the mike, cheeks flushed and her hair obviously tousled. She wore a dark red vest that exposed her midriff and black skinny jeans, her barefeet unprotected by wires crossing on the stage. She cleared her throat. "Hi guys," she stammered into the mircophone. "How's it going?"

The audience exploded in whooping and whistling. Julie cheered for her, while Ben and Kevin remained in total shock. Gwen looked amazing, but this was something that they'd never seen from her before.

"Well...I was lucky enough to stand in for Taylor tonight. I'm so appreciative and I hope you guys like my performance tonight." She nodded to the one person on the violin and the music began. People didn't say a word, wanting to hear Gwen's voice. Then guitars ripped in, the familiar song coming together perfectly. All it needed was the voice...

Gwen stepped closer to the mike, holding onto the stand, and closing her eyes.

_Take me, I'm alive _

_Never was a girl with a wicked mind_

_But everything looks better when the sun goes down _

The song was finally complete now and the audience was sucked in. Gwen's voice was the only perfect substitute for Taylor Momsen, and now Ben joined in, cheering for Gwen. Kevin stood there, grinning ear to ear, glad to see another side of Gwen that turned out to be so amazing.

_I had everything_

_Oppurtunites for eternity _

_And I belong to the night_

_Your eyes, your eyes_

_I can see it in your eyes, your eyes_

The mood changed in Gwen as she got into it, a dazzling smile on her face as she began to rock her body to the music.

_You make me wanna die _

_I'll never be good enough_

_You make me wanna die_

_And everything you love will burn up in the light_

_Everytime I look inside your eyes_

_You make me wanna die_

The guitars played by themselves again and the audience began dancing and jumping to the beat of the music. Gwen turned into full bad girl, throwing Kevin off a little.

_Taste me drink my soul_

_Teach me things that I shouldn't know_

_When there's a new moon on the rise_

_I had everything _

_Oppurtunites for eternity_

_And I belong to the night_

_Your eyes, your eyes_

_I can see it in your eyes, your eyes_

"I never knew Gwen could sing like this!" Ben shouted over the music. "The last time I heard her sing, it was at her third grade musical when she played as one of the little girl on the Sound of Music!"

Kevin laughed, shaking his head. "Things change Ben. Things change."

* * *

A/N: Mehhhh. I fail. But whatever. Haha, the next one will be fun. It reminds me a little bit from last year, playing Go Fish :) Review please! And listen to the Pretty Reckless! What do you think about them? 10.10.10 BY THE WAY! THIS SUNDAY :DD YEAHHHH BITCHES!


	50. Spade

Disclaimer: Sunday. So close to 10.10.10 I could just taste it...nomnomnom...*ahem* Don't own Ben 10 by the way.

A/N: 50TH CHAPTER! HUHHZAH! Hmm...is that how you spell it? I dunno...anywho, that is NOT the point here! I wanted to thank everysingleoneofya for allll the reviews! They are: ParamoreXO (THE FIRST ONE! THANK YOU! :D Happens to be SO good at fanfics! I can only imagine what else she can write...hmmm...), No Name (mysterious person...hm. But the one that probably made the most reviews...I don't remember :/), bree tennyson (:D Who did an awesome, awesome job at the Pieces of His Heart fic! :D), Lioness002 (fav thing was the Video Game fics :D), Ct (who disappeared very suddenly O.O), Spoonful of Lead (art and writings are both equally amazing :3), gothikaprincess (...wow at that review...), Twikadevra (I am guilty for reading her Twilight fics and loving them...*gets shot* I stopped being a Twilight fan eons ago.), Lexii-chan (happens to be a DP fan too :D), black rose97 (Who does a good version of bad boy Kevin in her fics ;D), Skylark Evanson (who writes amazing, amazing stuff and happens to be around the same age as me :D) annnnnd my wife (according to Facebook xD) bbillings2013! I love you all and I hope you read this until the end :D

Big Damn Table

50. Spade

Ben had finished all of his sports and extracurricular activities. Final exams were graded and all the stresses of high school were pushed out the doors, making way for summer. But school wasn't over yet. So how was he to make of all the free time during one hour lunch?

That's right. One hour to do _anything _your heart desires. Well, except for smoking weed, swinging on the lights on the ceiling and blah blah blah, you know the rest. Most extracurricular activites happened during lunch, so with nothing to do on the last day of school, he tried something different. He called Gwen and Kevin over, since their schools were closed for the summer. He didn't want to be alone in this.

So Gwen and Kevin walked through the doors of room 215, expecting something important, but only realized the situation-and come on, it's Ben we're talking about here-was just...well...stupid.

Ben sat at a cluttered area of desks with Julie (who looked bored enough to just sleep sitting on the desk), shuffling cards. "Hey guys! Wanna play cards?"

Gwen rose an eyebrow, then sighed. "Sure. Might as well." She turned to Kevin. "Do you want to play?"

"No. I want to get the hell out of here. This place is so...clean. It scares me. Plus, playing cards with Benji may lead up to very traumatizing results."

"It's cards Kevin. What could go wrong?" Gwen sighed, rolling her eyes. "So, what are we playing?"

"Go Fish."

"That's it?"

"It's the only game I know."

"...of course."

* * *

Two minutes into the game, Gwen already had two pairs, one heart, one three. Everyone had a different sort of hand, some with numbers, some with symbols. Even so, the others couldn't find a match. Ben pursed his lips, then held up a hand. "OK. Time out. Gwen, what's this?" He held up a card and Gwen noticed the symbol quickly.

"Oh. It's a spade."

Kevin rose an eyebrow. "What's a spade?"

"It's a digging tool," Julie explained.

Ben frowned. "What's a digging tool doing here?"

"What a heart doing there?"

"True."

"...But what if I wanted a stick put on there?" Kevin asked.

"A stick? Why a stick?" Gwen asked, a little concerned Ben's idiot-ness caught up with Kevin too.

"Well, it's remained for a long time right? Everyone knows what a stick is."

"Yeah. But it can't be used as an awesome weapon. Like a machine gun. Or my Ultimatrix," Ben chirped, grinning ear to ear.

"I can stab you in the eye with it."

"Oh. Okay. I get that." Ben frowned, lips pursed in concentration. "So Kevin."

"Yeah Benji?"

"You gotta Spade?"

"Nope. Go Fish."

"Boo, you whore."

* * *

A/N: Mean Girls reference if you haven't noticed at the end xD This takes me back to the last week of school and I started doing a bunch of random stuff I didn't do during lunch all year. So I went to this Card Game seminiar and there were some juniors arguing about spades and sticks, like this xD SO yeah...it was a fun lunch time :D REVIEW! 10.10.10 in less than a day now! WOOHOO!


	51. Water

Disclaimer: Don't own AT ALL.

A/N: Oh. My. God. That was...that premiere was just...I CANNOT put it into words at all. We got a major plot to follow though, which is always good :D And that cute lil' kiss on the cheek that Kevin gave to Gwen? Awww :3 Also, to the people that don't know this already, Osmosians can't absorb energy cause it causes . WE WAIT THREE SEASONS TO LEARN THIS. You know, this would've helped us out A LOT. But we know why Kevin was the way he was when he was a kid! 'Cause he must've absorbed energy, went coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs and became a-well, you know the rest. So anyway. Here you are! :D

Big Damn Table

51. Water

She felt so useless. Utterly, totally, completely useless.

She was always labelled the bookworm. The smartest girl in class. She was always elected in the Female category for Most Likely to Succeed. Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth were sending her acceptance letters every month it seemed. Everyone looked to her for help in all her classes, providing after-school tutoring. She was the "Mother Hen" of the group because she looked over Ben and Kevin, making sure everything was well balanced and provided the knowledge when it was needed.

Despite everything that she was, she managed to screw it all up.

She let Aggregor get away with the piece of the Map of Infinty, because of the careless mistake. She had let her guard down, and the most powerful alien that existed was only closer to controlling the Forge of Creation.

"Hey, Gwen!"

Gwen opened her eyes, her surrondings tinted darker by her sunglasses. Her eyes burned and were a little wet. She wiped the corner of her eyes as Ben ran up to her. She sat up on the beach towel, clearing her throat.

"Wanna play volleyball? We found this really cool ball on the beach and thought you'd wanna play."

Gwen fought a smile. Ben was able to make her smile, no matter what mood she was in. He was such a goof-ball. "Ben. You found a dirty ball left alone on the beach. Do you even _know _where it's been?"

"The ball making factory?"

"Ben..."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Just messin' with ya. So hey...uh...you alright?"

"I'm fine Ben. Thank you." She kept her voice clear and strong. Her throat felt thick, like her voice was going to break at any moment. "I'm just going to lay down over there, where the shallow end is, okay?"

"Alrighty then. Have fun with that." Then Ben ran off to Kevin and they begun their game without her. Gwen smiled at the two of them already arguing about whether the ball hit the mark or not, then untied the sash from her waist, letting the breeze wash over her a little. Taking a few assuring deep breaths, she tried to cleanse and focus her mind. She was going to be okay. They were all going to kick Aggregor's ass and the Forge of Creation would be untouched.

She walked toward where the **water **met the sand and then heard Ben shouting and the swish of sand.

"You're ditching me? Loser! Cheat! Come back 'ere and _fight like a freaking man_!"

Gwen turned to find that Kevin had ditched the game, running to her. She smiled as Kevin rolled his eyes, ignoring Ben's ranting. "He'll go Echo Echo and play with himself. Not that he already doesn't-"

"Kevin!"

"Just kidding," he chuckled. "So. Mind if I join you?"

"I don't mind."

His hand touched hers tentatively before they continued, making Gwen's heart almost leap out of her chest. Any signs of tenderness and affection was always nice to see, and it was usually when they were alone. Which was something to cherish, because they were so busy with their last meesly years of high school and Plumber business, that there barely was anytime for them to have together.

She took his hand with a soft yet firm grip, smiling. They sat down on the wet sand and let the water seep through their toes as it moved toward them. Kevin sighed heavily. "This is really nice. Just being a _human _and not worry about some aliens attacking us."

"I don't know about that." Gwen smiled, looking at Ben. He had turned into Echo Echo, like Kevin had said he would, already arguing with himself about hitting himself. "Guess you were right."

"The kid's predictable. Even at his most random moments." Kevin pursed his lips. "If that makes sense..."

Gwen laughed. "Sounds about right to me."

Kevin smiled, his eyes trailing back to the water. His eyes froze on her arm. "How...is it?"

Every happy emotion that she had, left her and the most unsettling feeling settled in her stomach, seeming to drag her back down. She looked at where the poisoned needle had injected into her skin from one of traps. It was slightly swollen around the area, but it was also misshaped, pale and rough. It was sore for the past couple weeks. "It's...fine." Her voice came out thick and she cleared her throat.

It didn't fool Kevin. "Gwen. What happened back there. It wasn't your fault."

She felt her eyes burn again and her heart beat wildly in her chest as anger and frustration flowed through her veins. "But I-"

Kevin put a hand to her mouth, his forehead resting on hers. The gesture shocked her, but it relaxed her, her body slumping forward, leaning against him. His hand still held hers with a nice, comforting pressure, letting her know that he needed to put his input in. "No buts," he said softly. "Gwen, Aggregor was two steps ahead of us the whole time. He had it all planned out. We set the traps so he could run through them after us with no problem. He knew we were going to be struggling with the wall. What happened with those needles, it wasn't your fault. Actually, it's kind of our fault."

"You're not at fault here, I-" The words died on her lips as he gave her a stern look. He had never been so serious with her. She knew this had to be something worth listening to. She pursed her lips and nodded for him to continue.

"I could have saved you when Ben could've changed to Humongasaur. I beat myself about it all the time. So listen to me Gwen. Understand that none of that was your fault. We do make our mistakes. And hey..." He trailed off, smirking. "We'll be able to kick his mutant ass later."

Gwen fought a smile, but it was no use. She laughed, shaking her head. "I guess we can do that."

"Yeah. All we have to do is make sure that he doesn't get all of the pieces. We need to save at least one."

"Right, right." Gwen leaned her head on his chest, smiling. "Thank you Kevin. I needed that."

"No problem Gwen. I knew that you needed that. You've been kinda down lately. I didn't like that, so I did something about it."

She leaned in, kissing him on the cheek. She pulled back with a grin. "Guess you're not the only one that needs to be watched closely."

* * *

A/N: YEEGAD! Urgh...I don't know how to end these things sometimes, but hey, whatever :P Was this bad? Good? You tell me!


	52. Fire

Disclaimer: You should know by now that I don't own Ben 10. At all. 'Cause MoA does. If you haven't well...read the past 51 chapters.

A/N: Ahhhh :D I can't wait to see Cash and JT :3 And if JT's there that must mean that...GASP. Jimmy may be back! :DDD 'Cause it's the same voice actor! *pause* Just saying...Haha I tend to get a little over excited over things...if you can't tell *shifty eyes* So, anyways. I was writing the rough draft of this on PAPER for the first time, in like, FOREVER. Ever since I got my laptop, paper's just been a lost media T.T It's still kinda nice, doing it the old fashioned way, drinking some tea as I'm writing. OH! Random Weird Fact: Whenever I drink hot chocolate when I'm writing, I'm perverted and random. It just does that to me...for some odd, strange reason xP OK, enough weirding you out! Onward to the story!

Big Damn Table

52. Fire

"I'm sooo tempted to start singing the campfire song right now."

"Do it and I'll kick your teeth in."

"OK. Fair enough then."

Gwen walked into the dark living room with a tray of three mugs of steamy hot chocolate and a hot batch of chocolate chip cookies, the boys instantly perking up. She sat down next to them, setting the tray on the table.

"So how'd you make the cookies if the power went out?" Ben asked, already grabbing a cookie.

"Magic. I've learned a few novelty spells and I guess they've finally come in handy."

"Cool," Kevin grinned. He took a mug of hot chocolate for himself and leaned in toward the **fire**place, feeling the comforting warmth. "Guess your powers are useful for more than kicking ass."

"Except for turning the power on," Gwen sighed. "I can't do that."

"And Buzzshock's locked on the Ultimatrix, so I can't use him to bring the power back on."

Kevin frowned. "We can save everyone in the universe from genocide and stomp Vilgax, but we can't turn back the power on for at least one night?"

"We can't do everything," Ben shrugged. Then he pouted a little. "Sucks, because I wanted to see that Sumo Slammers episode tonight."

Gwen rolled her eyes at the two, looking at the fire. Then she paused, smiling. "Guys, actually, I'm starting to think that this is a great time to hang out and talk. We've been so cooped up with fighting aliens and our junior year is about to end in a few months, so we're studying for exams, trying to decide about our future...We haven't had anytime to just sit down and...talk."

"I'm more into action than talking," Kevin smiled. "And studying isn't really much of a major concern for me. I'm putting as many hours into my job as I can."

Ben was on his third cookie, chomping down on it noisly. He chugged it down with some hot chocolate before talking again. "You work at the auto shop on Ace Street, right?"

"Yeah. It's kinda small, but people still come there anyway, despite all the big companies. It's trustworthy and we don't cut corners. Well...somewhat trustworthy," Kevin smirked with a little chuckle.

Gwen smiled, shaking her head. "See? We're having a somewhat decent conversation here." The boys smiled with her. "My parents said that their jobs closed for the night because of the power outages. So they're staying at a hotel a few miles away from their jobs. It shares this generator with another hotel, so a lot of people are staying there too."

"Wait...how'd you know that? I thought that there was no phone service here."

"I don't have to call them," Gwen shrugged. "I can see what they're up to, and they know it."

"Cool. I never knew that you could do that."

"I've been doing it with you guys too, so I know where you always are."

Ben frowned. "Huh. That explains how you know that I'm at practice or at Mr. Smoothy's."

Kevin laughed. "That's because you're _always _there. We don't need Gwen to 'see into your present' to know where _you _are."

"Oh."

Kevin turned to Gwen. "So we're all sleeping here tonight?"

"As long as your mom is alright with it."

"She's fine with it. As long as I see her six days a week, she's fine with me doing whatever." Kevin chuckled, laying back against the coffee table. "She's flexible about what I want to do."

Gwen pursed her lips. She had always wondered about Kevin's mother. How she felt about her son being a Plumber was always on Gwen's mind, espically when she was visiting Kevin's house. His mother must have been proud of him. Kevin was excellent in combat and knew everything related to alien technology. Despite his lack of effort in school work, he was a great, intellegent person.

But did Kevin remind her of her fallen husband, who was also a Plumber?

"So is mine," Ben nodded, thankfully cutting off her thoughts.

"Good," Gwen sighed with a nod. "Do you guys want one of my Dad's pajama shirts to sleep in?"

"Nah, I'm good," Ben said, shaking his head.

"Wouldn't fit on me, probably," Kevin chuckled. Gwen smiled, imagining him. It wasn't that Kevin was fat, he was just very musclar. The buttons would be bursting at the seams or they probably couldn't button. He probably couldn't put the shirt on because he had such broad shoulders.

"Well, we have some toothbrushes that you can use for the night and-wait. No, that's a stupid idea. Taking a shower isn't a good idea. There's no hot water."

"I'm cool with that," Ben shrugged. "I can take one right now."

Gwen rose an eyebrow. "And then get back in your dirty clothes?"

"Sure. You'll see." Ben stood up confidently, puffing out his chest. He froze, then smiled. "I'm going to need a candle first."

"On it," Gwen smiled. She already knew the consequences of taking a shower when the power was out. Ben had to learn the hard way. She took one of the candles and lit it. "Here you go."

"Thank ya." He took it then skipped up the stairs. Gwen and Kevin smirked at each other, waiting in silence for the sounds of the running water. There was the sound of Ben singing, then there was a loud, girly terrified shriek that came through out the whole house followed by a thump. Gwen and Kevin burst out laughing and it didn't cease when Ben ran down the stairs, towel wrapped around him like a dress and dripping wet hair hanging over his wide green eyes.

"The water's cold!"

* * *

After Ben dried himself off and Gwen warmed him up with another novelty spell, they brushed their teeth and Gwen changed into some sweatpants and a tank top. They set up blankets and pillows on the large sofas, talking some more. The moment was nice and they were enjoying every minute of it, laughing and joking around. Once midnight came around, Ben snuggled up on the sofa and fell right asleep. Gwen and Kevin shared the other sofa that could fit five people, laying across from each other so their feet touched.

They sat up, adjusting the blankets, grinning. "This was a pretty awesome night. Don't mind doing that again," Kevin whispered.

"Me neither." Gwen rose an eyebrow. "You have work tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. Like, twelve hours I can put in."

"Wow. Do you even like your job?"

"Yeah. Fixing cars is my thing. It's not just my car. It's everyone else's. It's kinda fun, because you feel in charge of someone else's property." Kevin sat up a little more so he could be face to face. "So. Can we all do this again sometime?"

Gwen smiled, shrugging. "Yeah. Whenever there's another power outage."

"Can't wait." Kevin leaned in, delievering a slow, sweet kiss to her lips, then pulled back to kiss her forehead. "Nighty night."

Her heart seemed like it was going to flutter away. "Night..." she breathed. "What about it?"

Kevin chuckled, laying down. "Good night Gwen. Sleep tight."

Gwen smiled. "Good night to you too..." She laid back, falling asleep with a smile on her face.

She was definantly doing this again. She just needed to figure out how to make a power outage of her own...

* * *

A/N: lol oh Gwen xD I've done this before, having friends over when there was a power outage :D Lots of fun actually! It just get REALLY REALLY hot after awhile...then there's no more ice cold water from a fridge...um...and it's never good to open a fridge when there's a power outage. Just saying. Haha, well, thank you all for your lovely reviews :D Couldn't have done this without you guys! REVIEW! Last time I checked, there's only one more until there's 100!


	53. Earth

Disclaimer: Don't own.

A/N: Ahhh 101! Thank you all! Ohmigosh, I get so excited over things, and this most certainly qualifies! Well, well, well...Earth. I can either get really serious and I can depress myself completely...OR I can be totally random with this. Which I'm deciding on right now...hmm...you'll see I guess ^^; I'm just writing stuff as it comes along...

Big Damn Table

53. Earth

"Benjamin Kirby Tennyson. You are the biggest dumb ass on the face of the **Earth**."

Ben frowned, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

Kevin smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "Isn't it obvious? You look in a mirror lately? Mm? Ow!" He frowned at Gwen who still had her fingers together, ready to pinch him again if he was going to make any other comment about Ben.

Ben frowned even more deeply and slurped down his meat smoothie. It wasn't tasting any better now. He thought that sardine and lamb smoothies were okay and wanted to try the hamburger and meatball, but now it didn't taste any better. Kevin was just making everything worse. Then he began to think. Maybe so much that his brain was aching a little afterwords. Then he smiled innocently. "Hey Kevin."

"Yeah? What?" Kevin answered carefully, Gwen still ready. He loved this girl, but when she pinched, it hurt like a son of a bitch.

"You call me a dumb ass but...in it's basic defintion, what _is _a dumb ass?"

"Easy. It's y-" He cut off, sighing. "Fine, fine. What point are you trying to make, Tennyson?"

"A dumb ass is extremely stupid. I'm not extremely stupid. I have A's and B's in my classes. Second of all, a dumb ass couldn't create peace and stop a genocide from wiping out the whole universe. A dumb ass couldn't save the world more than Batman ever could, 'cause, well, Bruce Wayne's got nothing on me. Espicially Iron Man. He's just a tin can I can kick across the sidewalk. And most importantly, a dumb ass would let the Omnitrix and Ultimatrix combust and let the universe die. I wouldn't."

And with that, he finished his meat smoothie, tossed his cup in the recycling bin and head to the bathroom.

Kevin stared at him in shock as well as Gwen. "Did...he just..."

"Yep. I think he just fried you."

* * *

A/N: See? Winged it. Again. Haha I hope you can review for this and tell me what you think! :D


	54. Air

Disclaimer: Don't own for the 54th time T.T Yeesh...

A/N: AIEEE! 8D My Gwevin senses are on haywire xD When "Reflected Glory" premiered, there was a commerical break and I was starting to get really bored...Then all of a sudden, there's a Ben 10 clip before the episode came on. Gwen and Kevin K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Then Ben's all like, "Oh would you two get a room..." xD I squealed and lmao at the same time :D Apparently the episode Perplexahedron, that's when it happens :D So I'm excited to see what led up to that passionate lil' exchange ;) Wellll, anywho, sorry I'm late and here's "Air."

Big Damn Table

54. Air

The light, graceful breeze carried the passionate yet innocent three words in the **air**. It made everything around them even sweeter, along with the alluring scents that they both carried. The natural scent of pure pine and maple combined, calming their raging senses.

It was this that brought Gwen and Kevin so closely. Just their senses. Smell, touch, sound, sight and taste...Everything that surrounded them made them who they were.

Gwen pulled back, trying to take in that precious air. It filled her lungs, her body almost lighter. She took in another deep breath, taking in everything that surrounded them. She felt so relaxed, the tense muscles in her back and shoulders unwinding. She felt as if she could just melt into mush right on the cool metal hood.

Kevin rested his head against her shoulder, taking in a few deep breaths of his own as well. He smiled against her skin. "You'd think we could do this more often."

"But we can't," she breathed. "Too busy. No matter how much I'd love to stay here all day and all night, we have so much going on..." Her thoughts seemed to flow out of her head and she hissed an oath. "Which reminds me." She slid out of Kevin's comfortable grasp and reached for her purse that was accidentally knocked to the ground. She searched for her cell phone and muttered another swear. "We have five minutes until taekwondo practice."

"Do you have to go?" Kevin asked. "I mean, you go everyday and you kick ass everytime. What's one little thing to skip going to do? Besides. You get plenty of practice fighting bad guys anyway."

Gwen sighed. She longed to stay here. This place and this man was her solace. With so much stress and pressure in reality, she just wanted to escape and forget all her worries. "I know. But sensei would be disappionted with me. I wouldn't be able to be his number one student."

"Do you really _want _to be his number one student?"

"Yes! I haven't missed a single meeting in six years. Ever since I started to when I got my nineth degree black belt, Takuto-sensei was there for me every single day. He's never missed a single day either from sickness or from a death in the family. He dedicates so much time with me. I should do the same."

Kevin sat up, watching her in silence as she picked up her purse and adjusted her clothes. He frowned heavily, already missing the moments they were sharing only a few moments ago. He craved for that touch of smooth skin against his...the smell, the passion, the-

"Kevin, c'mon. I'm going to be late!"

"Don't go."

Gwen was getting into the passanger side of the car, but she froze completely. The tone of his voice was driving her wild and craved with temptation. She really didn't want to go. She was making excuses, being completely ridiculous. When was the last time that Gwen and Kevin ever had a time together like this? Just the two of them, alone and with no interupptions of a pretend-gagging Ben and near-death experiences?

Not for a _long _time.

"I don't want to. But I have to."

"So you can skip school to fight a bad guy, but you can't skip practice to spend time with me?" Kevin deadpanned. "Really."

"I..." She felt like caving in. She wanted to stay so, so bad. She wanted to stay in his arms, be close to him.

She couldn't take it anymore. She threw her purse to the ground and tackled him onto the hood. Kevin gaped at her, a little shocked. "So..." The surprise in his eyes faded, replaced with unmistakeable confidence and he smirked. "You want to stay."

"Shut up and kiss me."

* * *

A/N: Who can resist Kevin? :P No one can. Thought so xD So. If I fail, sorry ^^; Please review and tell me what you think of this! I want to hear what you think :3 Honesty is the best policy! Just...uh...don't flame me up into smitherens please :/


	55. Spirit

Disclaimer: Never shall own it. Ever.

A/N: Well, I wanted to take a humorous approach to this, BUT it didn't work out Dx And I have another idea raging in my mind right now, and it's driving me crazy 'cause I just wanted to finish this without a problem. But the creativity bug bit me, and now stories are just flying outta the wazoo :/ *pause* Haha, yes I just said wazoo. And for the love of all that is good, don't look it up on Urban Dictionary. It makes it a lot worse than it sounds O.O Well...Imma take the serious approach here and go for it :D So, hope that you like this (and I hope I don't depress myself at the same time...)

Big Damn Table

55. Spirit

Kevin's innocent eyes watched the clouds as they skimmed across the dark sky and smothered the bright moon like a dull, heavy blanket. He heard that there was going to be a storm tonight, and he didn't want to miss it. This was something that his father always looked at with him. Tonight, since his father was out on a Plumber mission, he was on his own.

He sat against the pillows, munching on some caramel popcorn that he had managed to swipe from the kitchen an hour ago. His mother slept in the other room, her light snores muffled by the beginning patters of rain against the shingles. The rain trickled down the glass windows, creating spider web-like shadows on the wall. He watched as the moon finally disappeared under the thick clouds and grinned as a shock of lightening crashed down. Thunder followed shortly after, rumbling and deep.

Even as a young child of five years, he was filled with so much mature **spirit**. Despite being different from other kids, he wasn't worried about being "strange" or a "freak." He wasn't out of control or threw powerful, deadly tantrums. He was polite and said his "Yes ma'am"s and "Yes sir"s. He did as he was told, eager to please his parents. When his father told him not to absorb energy, Kevin didn't dare attempt to do it.

He watched as another beautiful streak of pure light sliced against the dark sky. Another big smile crossed his features and he scooted closer to the window.

He began to wonder. Who were creating all the rain, thunder and lightening? His father tried to explain it before to him, but Kevin was still a child and didn't understand. He remembered something about "negative" and "positive" but everything else was just lost to him. He wanted him to be back from that trip so he could ask him.

He leaned back further against the pillows, popping another handful of popcorn in his mouth. A few more ideas entered his childish mind. Him being in the clouds, creating thunder and lightening, being the most powerful boy in the world. Possibly the universe. Then he saw himself running outside, taking in that powerful streak of light. He frowned. "No. Mama and Papa wouldn't like me doing that...I can't absorb energy." Then he finished the popcorn, threw the paper towel in the trash can and sneaked to the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he scrubbed at the pieces that got between his teeth, he couldn't help but wonder about absorbing energy even more.

His eyes flickered to the power cord for the clock on the counter. It...couldn't hurt, could it? Just one little touch of energy...

He spat out the toothpaste into the sink and washed out his mouth with some water. He stared at the cord, his fingers twitching toward it. He longed to touch it, feel the energy course through him...

His fingers grasped the cord, the material cold in his hand. He felt a shiver of pleasure along his spine and he smiled. His hand grasped it tighter as he concentrated. He began to feel something course through him. Something white hot and slowly burning, yet ice cold and sharp. Every nerve fiber in his body seemed as if it was on fire. Pleasure managed to smooth the pain down and the muscles seemed to unwind and relax. He tried to speak out, but the feelings that flowed through him was too strong for words. Then he felt it.

Power.

He wanted more and more of it. He needed more energy. If this came from a measly power cord...what would happen if he went outside and touched the light?

Yes. He would do that.

When he got his fill, he dropped the cord. His skin was tingling and warm. He felt like he was sugar high, ready to run around the room and start bouncing off the walls. But he didn't need to do that. He needed more.

He walked outside, the rain soaking his clothes instantly. Another streak of lightening. Another rumble of thunder. This all belonged to him.

He held out a hand, reaching for the sky. He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating. He imagined that lightening as his own, pulling it out of the sky. He would show his father that it really wasn't so bad. It was so amazing, so-

"KEVIN ETHAN LEVIN!"

He turned to see his mother on the door step. Her eyes were wide and her face was sickly pale. "Get over here. Now."

He felt anger. He never felt so angry with his mother before in his life. He never betrayed her commands before, so this was maybe why. He did something wrong, and his mother was angry with him. When he was a child, he was afraid of his parents being mad at him. But now...it felt..._good_.

"What if I don't want to Mama?" he asked calmly. His hands still reached for the sky, challenging her. What was she going to do? She didn't have his powers. She was powerless against him, especially now.

Her face screwed up in twisted anger and mixed emotions. Her voice was a low menancing growl. "Kevin. Ethan. Levin. Do not make me call your father-"

"He's busy Mama! He can't do anything!" Rage coursed through him and his hands seemed to burn. He soon realized it was crackling with energy, streams of light encircling his fingers. "You can't do anything! You're too powerless! I'm the most powerful here! What can you do to stop me?" Then there was blindness. He felt no more of that sweet energy and power. His screams of surprise were muddled, then there was nothing else.

* * *

The smoothie cup slipped out of Ben's hand and blueberry and kiwi spilled on the floor. It stained the concrete, but Kevin and Ben paid no attention to it. Ben gaped at him in shock and Kevin just stared back, bored and disinterested like he had just explained the weather forecast. "Ha...wha...what happened after that?"

"I woke up. I didn't have any of that energy anymore. There were a bunch of Plumbers and my Dad was there. My Dad was mad, not at me, but himself for not explaining why it was so bad." Kevin let out a dark, humorless chuckle, sitting down on his car hood. "Still didn't stop me from absorbing more and more energy though. When Dad didn't come back from another mission, I thought that my Dad left me. I didn't know he died. So I left for New York, looking for more trouble."

Ben frowned. He didn't know how to process all of this. He talked to friends that had their grandparents die from cancer or old age, his friends going through some depressed times, but this...He knew Kevin. He didn't probably know as much as Gwen did, but still. When he was a kid, he had no idea what Kevin went through. He had thought this boy was insensitive and didn't care about anyone. All it was was just childish curiousity leading to a tragedy.

"Does...Gwen know anything about this?"

"Yeah. Already told her a few months ago."

"That's...probably why you two are so close. You seem to tell her everything."

"Not everything," he shrugged. "Just to let her know I have a past."

"But...you turned out good, right?"

Kevin smiled. "I dunno...what do _you _consider good?"

"Someone that's _not _trying to kill me."

"OK. That's me maybe 75% of the time."

"Hey!"

"Kidding." Pause. "Maybe 90%."

"Kevin!"

* * *

A/N: Heehee ^^ Review please!


	56. Breakfast

Disclaimer: Can I own the cute lil' fishy at least...?

A/N: Ahh homecoming :) That was fun! Too much boy drama though :/ Can't high school dances just be simple? No ho trains (line of girls gyrating each other...yes, a train. I'm not exaggerating.), no tears, no self-consciousness about if you're showing too much back...yeah. But hell, you know what? When they played "I Like It" and "Don't Stop Believin'", I was a really happy person xP My legs are sooo sore though D: So anywho. Hope you like :D

Big Damn Table

56. Breakfast

Julie had never felt so exhausted in her life. Her muscles were tense from tennis practice and studying for the exams seemed to make her brain throb violently against her skull. Back in her senior year, she knew that college wasn't going just to be a walk in the park. She knew that it would be difficult. But certainly not _this _difficult.

"Julie. For the love of all that is good and holy in this world, do yourself a favor and turn off that lamp."

Julie flushed, closing her heavy textbook. Tiny, neon colored post-it notes stuck out from the pages, folding in when she pushed it away. She rubbed her heavy eyes and snarled a yawn. "Sorry Iz."

Iz, Julie's roommate, sat on her heavily personalized bunk bed, holding a FloTV. She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry about me. It's _you _I'm worried about. It's like, what?" She looked at the screen of the tiny portable TV. "Another Tosh.O re-run is on so it's...1 am."

"1 am? Holy shit!" Julie turned the lamp off and made her way to the bunk bed ladder. She climbed up the ladder, ignoring Iz's soft laughter and threw the comforter aside so Julie could snuggle into the bed. She pulled the comforter and sheets back over her, sleep immediatly pulling her eyes shut.

"You worry too much girly," Iz teased. "You need to relax. One lil' C ain't going to hurt you. You've been getting straight A's. And even in tennis, you succeed in everything. You keep pushing yourself over and over again."

"Because I want to do my best. If I keep pushing myself, I can find my limits."

"I don't think you have any. May be your limit is dehydration and you'll wind up in a coma or something." A chuckle and laughter from the TV being cut off from below. Any light was gone and Julie was surronded by darkness, being tempted by sleep even more. "Trust me. I've been through the same exact thing. It's just good to relax."

Sleep fully encased Julie before she could think about anything else. Her dream was weird, taking her through a Wonderland version of her college. Iz was the Chesire cat, leading her through different pathways. The headmaster was the queen, glaring at her. Watching her closely, then laughing when he shouted, "OFF WITH HER HEAD!" Julie tried to escape the college, but was surronded by extremely large tennis rackets.

Then it stopped, like someone had flipped a switch.

_Julie...Julie wake up..._

She was wrapped up in a warm, comforting smell. It was sweet, yet clean and masculine. She just wanted to cuddle up into a little ball and stay in the comfort of the smell and the heavy blankets forever.

_Julie...c'mon, wake up. I got something to tell you. _

"I don't wanna get up," she mumbled, the words slurring and mixing together in a jumbled mess. "Tell me later."

A chuckle. The voice was becoming more clear. "C'mon. You want to get ready for **breakfast**, don't you?" The voice was masculine, light and teasing. A familiar feeling flooded her. Her eyes began to open and the voice softened. "Good morning sleeping beauty."

Her eyes met two gorgeous beach glass green eyes and she jumped. Her face heated up and she felt her heart begin to pound frantically against her ribcage. "_Be-Ben_? How'd you get in here?"

Ben grinned. "Miss you too." He sat against the bed support, his knees brushing against her legs as he tried to get comfortable. He looked around. "Yours isn't as personalized as Iz's. You only have a few pictures of us. Dude. Why does Kevin look like he's gonna rape Gwen in that picture? That's a bad picture of them..."

Julie gaped at him, mouth hanging on its hinges as Ben blabbed on and on, as if it was a casual conversation. When was the last time she saw him? A little part of her was screaming in happiness and joy. The last time she saw him was when she had left for college. She never talked to him on the phone because she didn't want to disturb him if he was doing something important. Then also, he didn't want a Facebook or a MySpace because of how many "friends" would be recommended.

"Julie? Julie, hey, you there?"

Julie blushed some more. "Sorry, sorry. Uh...wait..." Reality came back to her. "What time is it?"

"It's about 11."

"Oh my God, no! I'm missing my-"

"No you're not."

Julie rose an eyebrow, leaning over the railing to see Iz at her desk, drinking a Dr. Pepper and reading The Scarlet Letter. Iz looked at her, rolling her eyes. "It's a Saturday. Did you forget?"

"A...apparently so." She felt stunned. Totally stunned. When was the last time she had seen Ben? Or talk to him?

Ben smiled at her, turning her insides to mush. That smile...it was the friendly smile she knew and loved. It lit up his face, his eyes. Everything that surrounded him seemed to brighten as well. Another thing she began to notice was how more noticeably fit he looked. His arms were more toned and a little more tan. He definantly had more muscle. From fighting bad guys or from playing soccer, she wasn't sure. That reminded her...

"You still wear it?" she muttered, eyes gluing to the Ultimatrix. It looked the same as when she last saw it. Somethings stayed the same over time then, she thought to herself, biting her bottom lip.

"Well, yeah. I gotta keep it on me at all times. If someone grabs it, it's going to cause a lot of trouble for the universe. Plus I need to be ready to fight someone when someone does something to endanger the universe." Ben sighed. "Anyway. I got a little something for you."

"Huh?"

Ben dug into his pocket, pulling out a small cube the size of a Lego piece. It was a glossy black with mysterious, exotic green linings. She rose an eyebrow.

"What...is it?"

He grinned. "An old friend." He let out a sharp whistle and the green lines and the markings glowed. The cube began to unfold, morphing into a shapeless mass like putty before her eyes. It grew, bubbling. Then it melded, forming into a well known shape.

"Oh my gosh..."

It froze, a tiny, glowing green circle blinking. It churned, sounding like a soft purr. "Ship?"

"Ship! Ohmigosh!" Julie squealed as Ship shaped himself into her arms. Ship felt soft and slightly squishy-just like she remembered. Ship nudged her chin then began to rub against her jawline, making her laugh. "I miss you too Ship." Ship let out whir that sounded like he was content with her response, then rested in her lap. She looked up to Ben. "I miss you too. Sorry about that. It's just..."

"Been awhile?"

She nodded. "Yeah. So why with the sudden visit? Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Because one, I missed you and wanted to see what was up. And two, Denny's having this breakfast special for two that I wanted to try and I didn't want to bring Gwen or Kevin."

"Why not?"

"Because again, one, I missed you and wanted to see what was up. And two...well..."

* * *

1 hour ago...

Ben knocked on the door again, pursing his lips. Gwen should have been there. It was the weekend and Gwen had promised her parents to visit them. So she should have been there. He waited. He looked at the driveway, seeing Kevin's car. "So why is she not answering...?" He messed with the lock and the door popped open. So the door was unlocked the whole time...hm. Strange.

He stepped into the living room. It was all quiet, no signs of life anywhere. He looked in the kitchen and the dining room. The patio. No one. So there was always upstairs. He walked up the stairs, finally hearing something. There was music playing, music that Gwen liked, with the lyrics about lovey-dovey stuff and how these two people were never going to part. He rolled his eyes, opening the door. Then he groaned inwardly. "I don't need to see that before breakfast."

Gwen shot up from under Kevin, shirt practically unbuttoned and hair mussled. Her face was beet red and she turned away to quickly button the shirt. Kevin growled, throwing his shirt in Ben's face. "Go get stuffed Tennyson!"

* * *

"So...yeah. That was a clear decision to make."

Julie laughed, shaking her head. Gwen was probably scarred for life, knowing that her cousin had witnessed a rather intimate moment with Ben's best friend. "Alright. I'll go to Denny's with you then."

Ben perked up. "Awesome!" Then he pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. "Meet you outside in a few." Then he let her go, crawling back down the stairs. Once the door slammed, Julie looked down at Iz.

Iz sighed, knowing. "Yes darling. You can scream in happiness. I got my ear plugs."

* * *

A/N: Haha, just had to end it there xD Sorry I haven't updated in a long time! I've been busy with other things and I've been working on rough drafts for the other ones, so I know what to do in the future for this :) And I hope Mazina had regained sanity...REVIEW!


	57. Lunch

Disclaimer: I'm kinda thankful that I don't own it. I'd be pummeled by thousands of rabid Gwevin and Bevin fans...And I don't own Human Centipede. And that's a good thing, 'cause it proves I'm not the most demented person in the world.

A/N: *sigh* You know, ever since that whole 2 Girls 1 Cup prank that my parents had pulled on, I thought that I'd never trust my parents with that kind of stuff ever again. Guess what? I managed to somehow trust them again. "Human Centipede" has scarred me for life now. I mean, I've seen the R rated movies like Kick Ass and Rocky Horror, but this...They say it's "100% Medically Accurate." Dear Lord. If you want to figure it out yourself...good freaking luck. This contains spoilers for the movie. Just sayin'.

Big Damn Table

57. Lunch

"Ready to watch your first rated R movie ever?"

Ben pouted, arms tightly crossed as he squished himself into the corner of the couch. "I wanted to see Kick Ass."

"Too bad. You're watching Human Centipede," Kevin smirked. "It's a dollar a day rental anyway. We can buy Kick Ass after watching this, alright?"

Gwen sighed heavily. The boys were the only ones that were excited about the R rated movie. Ever since Kevin turned 17, he could buy and rent whatever R rated movies that he wanted. So when he told Ben this, Ben got excited and plotted to see a rated R movie. Gwen wasn't really interested. What was so great about an R rated movie anyway? All it had was more gore, violence, language and disgusting images. Plus some uncomfortable content that she probably wouldn't want to see with Kevin in the same room.

Kevin noticed her disinterest, frowning. "C'mon Gwen. Confidence?"

"I have confidence that this movie will be a total waste of time and money. _I'd _rather see Going the Distance."

"Ew. Chick movie."

"Whatever," Gwen muttered. "Or Kick Ass. Kevin, look at the summary of this." She picked up the DVD sleeve, reading the summary of the movie aloud. "'A demented scientist creates a horrific scientific experiment that may change things forever.' Which is, well, exactly what it says on the cover. The Human Centipede."

Kevin groaned. "I love you Gwen, but sometimes you can be such a mood killer."

Gwen smiled, not at all bothered. "I can make up for it later though." The frown on Kevin's face began to melt, changing into a smile. They shared an intimate, knowing glance, making Ben shudder in disgust.

"Don't do all that before **lunch **please! No images of you two are allowed in my head! Ever!"

Gwen and Kevin laughed, then they all settled down into the couch and turned on the TV. "You know," Kevin muttered as the DVD loaded up. "Sucks you don't have a Blu-Ray."

Ben sighed. "I know. We've got an HD TV, so we got something good at least." He skipped the previews and played the movie. Starts off harmless enough. Two American tourists in Germany, looking to have a fun time and party.

"Maybe it'll be like Hostel," Kevin cackled evilly to Ben. "Two tourist girls getting locked into a hotel basement, tormented and-"

"So you already saw a R rated movie," Gwen said suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. It's just you two that haven't seen one. I've sneaked into movie theaters before."

"Cheat," Ben snickered. Gwen hushed the two as the scene progressed. The two girls were driving down a foggy, dark deserted road, looking as if it was about to rain.

Kevin lowered his voice, making him sound creepy and menancing. "And their car will fail them both because God knows when two innocent girls are driving in a dark, scary place alone. So he screws around with them." As if on cue, the tire flattens. Kevin laughed. "Am I great or what?"

"Sort of expected that to happen anyway." Gwen fought a smile. "So what are they going to do now?"

"Walk down a dark, lonely road in the rain apparently," Ben sighed. "You know, just reading the summary, you already know that some creppy guy is just going to snatch them up and turn them into the 'human centipede.'"

"Well dur Benji."

"Would you freaking stop calling me that?"

"Aww, why not Benji? I happen to think that you _like _me calling you Benji."

"That's it! Rath time!"

"_GUYS! Seriously!_"

Ben sat down, crossing his arms. Kevin put an arm over Gwen's shoulder, offering the most innocent, wide eye look that he could make. "Sorry Gwen," they both said. They all lapsed into silence as the girls finally found a decent looking house.

"In the middle of nowhere?"

"With Courage the Cowardly Dog?"

"Ooh, I love that show!"

"_Guys_."

"Sorry."

Then a creepy looking guy opens the door. "Oh I think this is the one. Bet you $10 Levin," Ben muttered sarcastically. Kevin snorted.

Gwen sighed heavily. "No more smart ass comments during the movie please."

"OK."

So the girls were soaking wet, mascara and eye liner dripping down their faces. They told the creepy looking guy that their tire broke and they were lost, so they wanted him to call an emergancy taxi service or a tow truck since they couldn't speak asked if they were tourists and when they said yes, he gripped at the sofa cushion with excitement.

"Hooboy..."

"One word."

"I can't help being a smart ass!" Ben shouted. "It's what I do! I can't help it!"

"Fine," Gwen sighed, rolling her eyes. She rested her head on Kevin's shoulder, giving in. "You two can start commentaring on everything that goes on in the movie."

The guys grinned at each other knowingly, then launched into conversation.

"So, the guy asks them to get some water for the girls. They happily agree and he goes out to get some. Or not. Maybe he'll get some torture device." Gwen groaned, closing her eyes and wondering why she let them do this. "Oh, going to the basement of course. Torture chamber of some sort."

"So Benji. Let's see some trouble brew."

-60 Minutes Later-

"AGGGHHH! No! THAT IS SO WRONG!"

"So not cool! So, not, cool!"

Gwen hid her face in Kevin's shoulder, clutching her stomach. "Tell me when it's over."

Ben paused the movie, then shrieked. "I just paused it right there!"

They all screamed bloody murder, running like hell, heading to the dining room. Ben's parents looked up from their lunch, eyeing the petrified kids with worry. "Uh...hey guys. You all look a little pale...you want some water?"

They all screamed again, Gwen clinging to Kevin's arm in terror. Ben's words flew out of his mouth so fast, his parents almost couldn't catch up. "No,no,no! I don't want any water from you! You're gonna drug us all! Then you're gonna cut Gwen and Kevin's mouths and attach one of their mouths to my butthole! Then you're gonna attach the other one's mouth to the other's hole! Then you're gonna make me poo, forcing the person attached to my butthole to eat my poo, then the other one eats their poo! Then we're all gonna die then you're all gonna be like 'Muhahahaha, I'm so evil and stuff!'"

Kevin glared at him. "Ah _hell _nah! I ain't putting my mouth on _anyone's _asshole!"

"Aunt Sandra? Uncle Carl?" Gwen whimpered, green eyes swimming with tears. "I don't want to eat poop. I really don't."

Ben's parents stared at each other.

Sandra sighed. "Something tells me we should keep Ben and his friends away from rated R movies."

"Something's telling you, huh?"

* * *

A/N: lol I LOVE messing with the three of them xD So. Gwevin fans in the house tonight? GWEVIN KISS! MUHHAHAHA! xD In your face Brooke, in your face xD (shot gun loads in background) uhh...gotta go. REVIEW! (flees)


	58. Dinner

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10. Shocking, I know.

A/N: Oh. My. GOD. So, I was on the Comcast menu, looking up summaries for Ben 10 and up comes two new summaries for Forge of Creation and Nor Irons Bar a Cage. Holy. Crap. I posted a forum on McDuffie's website. If you know the site, you can find it on the Ben 10 forums section :D I have the same username on there. And if you want info NOW here it is:

Forge of Creation: Aggregor is defeated, but victory comes at a price when Kevin's personality is changed.

Nor Iron Bars a Cage: Ben and Gwen try to halt Kevin's frenzy on the prison planet Incarcion.

So. Things are getting kind of crazy with Kevin. Should be interesting...hmmm...AND I KNOW! I am soooo late! I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile! Things have been busy and people have a habit of being funny when I'm typing. Grr. SO, I'm trying to cut this down so I can finish it NOW and not LATER. This was inspired by a little moment at the mall. Yeah...

Big Damn Table

58. Dinner

So. I was just getting ready for a **dinner **with Kevin and his mother. I was excited about it because his mother was so outgoing and nice to me. Sure, my parents were having a hard time with me dating Kevin, but once they met Kevin's mother, they warmed up to the fact that we were a couple.

For the event, I wanted to dress up a little, buy some new clothes. I didn't have to, but I just felt...better. I don't know, I guess it's just a little weird habit of mine whenever there's an important event.

I went to the mall and found somethings that looked cute on me. After an hour I found something suitable: A scarlet, flow-y tank dress and black flats with onyx and ruby red crystals on them. They brought out the color of my hair and didn't show too much, which was a bonus. After paying for them, I had a few others to kill before I could get ready, so I checked out the make up department.

The make up department was added to over the weekend, so make up professionals and clients were walking around, showing people some of the new products that were brought in. Eye shadows that brightened and highlighted your eye color. Lip stains that were kiss evident free. Foundation that fought of acne that were 25 dollars a fluid ounce. I just ignored them and scanned the different sections. I noticed there were some Philosophy and looked at the different bottles and tubes of lotion and body wash. I noticed a bottle of Cookies and Cream body lotion, which was like the _best _flavor of everything in the world. Ice cream, smoothies, milk-shakes, lip gloss, lip balm...you get the picture. So I picked it up, just to look at it and smell it.

I couldn't even open the nozzle. It was like as soon as I picked up that _one. Freaking. Bottle. Of. Lotion _the _whole _freaking store heard me. I was instantly swarmed with the make up professionals.

They were screeching at me and I clenched the bottle close to my chest, eyes wide.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"N-no, just browsing-"

"Well, we have our bronzers are over here, and our eyeshadows are here."

"Umm-"

"And we have some of the most _popular _face cleansers in this section."

"I just wanted to-"

"And we have some absolutely gorgeous lip stick colors here! Would you like a sample?"

"No, not re-"

Someone smeared a cotton swab of sticky hot pink lipstick on my mouth. I sputtered and glared at them in disgust. That settled it. People that got up all in my face, telling me about all of this products and I just _wanted to look._ Do I even _look _like I need a face cleanser or some bronzer? Am I acne ridden? Am I pale or something?

So with as much spite and hate that I could, I spat at the four of them, "I'm _just browsing. _If you can't accept that, just _go. Away._"

They walked away in fear and I sighed in relief. I wiped my lips off and looked at the bottle. Opening the nozzle, hoping to savor the sweet, creamy smell of Cookies and Cream, I was instead greeted with the smell of a waxy candle that was trying to pass off as chocolate. I could feel anger pounding through my veins. What the hell was _wrong _with this freaking store?

I pitched the bottle to the right, not even looking at where it was going to. Just to relieve _some _of the anger. Then there were some clangs and crashes of glass and liquid. A few screams of shock.

Closing my eyes, I groaned to myself. I wasn't going to the make up department ever again.

* * *

A/N: Well, I didn't do a hard pitch like that, but that's what I felt like in the mall. GOD, they never freaking leave you alone! SIGH. So, with that in mind, REVIEW. Have you ever had any bad experiences in the mall? Tell me :D


	59. Food

Disclaimer: ...I hate you MoA. I hate you with a BURNING, FIREY passion. Rawr.

A/N: No. NonononononononoNO. McDuffie you CANNOT do this to us! I'm never going to be able to hear Greg Cipes' sexy voice D,: OK. That's not the _only _thing I'll miss :/ I was screaming "NO" like, a hundred times when Kevin touched the Ultimatrix. I was like, "Ah nah bitch do NOT freaking touch TOUCH that! NOOO! Dammit, you touched it!" SIGH. So yeah.

So, I wrote this BEFORE I knew so many people wrote the post-Forge of Creation fics :P We have a lot of pissed off fans. But you know what? Kevin's going to return to his handsome, roguish charm self soon :) Prepare for some brotherly Bevin. Hear that Brooke? BROTHERLY. Yeah, we're going to keep going with that lil' argument of ours before first period started...Kevin loves Gwen more. Nahhhh :P

Big Damn Table

59. Food

I lost him again.

A friend. A brother I had never had. A partner. A guy I could go to for advice.

He had been there with me for a whole year. I had learned to know him, behind all the tough guy skin and dark past. I saw a best friend that I would be able to have my back in fights.

When I had confronted him in the Perplexehedron and he had admitted that I had changed his life along with Gwen, it made me realize what I had with him. We had a tight bond and he didn't want us to lose it. He trusted me enough to stay with us. But when he flew into the portal, I found that the bond had been broken. He no longer trusted us. Trusted _me_.

Before Paradox left with my younger self, he dropped us off at diner back in Bellwood. My car was parked in the front, no one else in the parking lot. My younger self looked around, frowning. "Nothing looks different," he muttered. "What kinda future is this?"

"A very complex one," Paradox chuckled. He turned to me and Gwen, smiling. "Now. I know you two are very concerned about Kevin's current condition. Well, of course, saying that is a clear understatement. I know that you feel very tired and hungry as well-" Before I could get a word in, he _tsk_ed at me. "No matter how much you deny it-so I am dropping you off here so you can eat some **food** and get your rest. Kevin will return to you. The both of you."

Gwen stepped forward. "Kevin's car is still at the Door to Anywhere. Is it-"

"It is back home, yes. And in great condition too."

"And his mother?"

"I had told her about his condition before it had occurred. She does know and she also knows that he will come back home safe and sound one day. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day."

Gwen nodded, her face blank. I stared at her with disbelief.

How could she be so strong about this? Why wasn't she crying, breaking down at Paradox's feet, begging him to find a way to bring our Kevin back?

Then I realized. She was stronger than that. It reminded me of what Kevin had said before when Gwen had disappeared in the Perplexehedron.

_"She can take care of herself", I said, watching as Kevin walked toward me._

_"I know. That's one of the things that I like about her. Doesn't mean that I don't want to take care of her anyway."_

Gwen knew that he loved her as a strong, confident person. She wouldn't let him down. It was still strange though. I had never seen my cousin so...strong before. It was like I was seeing a completely different person.

But was she breaking down inside? Was she just putting on a straight face, even though her heart was practically tearing apart?

I hated seeing her like this. "Thank you Paradox. We'll see you soon...I guess."

"Of course."

The younger version of myself watched me carefully. Then he smiled. "I'm going to be totally awesome when I turn 16, aren't I?"

"And famous," Paradox added.

He perked up, eyes widening. "Woah! I'm famous? How did I-"

"Oops," Paradox chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I exposed too much. Doesn't matter, because your memory shall be erased as soon as you return to your time."

"I guess..." he muttered bitterly, pouting. Then they disappeared in a flash, leaving us in total silence.

I turned to Gwen. She looked back at me, trying for a smile. The straight face she tried to keep crumbled as soon as she tried for a smile. The smile didn't even reach her eyes. "I think I'd rather go home," she said. Her voice was a little softer and weak. She was falling apart. My stomach clenched and I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Gwen..."

Her chin trembled and she gritted her teeth, fighting the tears. "Paradox says that Kevin will be back to normal one day. I've got nothing to worry about. No cures need to be looked up. The insanity will fade sooner or later."

"Gwen-"

"You've got nothing to worry about either Ben. But...then again..." She looked me dead in the eyes, her voice breaking. "I know you'll come up with something. That's what Paradox had said before. You're destined to do something great. _You're _the one can fix him."

"I...don't know if I can do that Gwen," I said calmly.

"But he said-"

"Gwen, I don't know. That's going to take some time. Gwen, listen to me." I could see her eyes swimming with tears and I lowered my voice. "Kevin saved the universe right?"

"I know but-"

"He saved us. Sacrified himself. He's still alive though." Something clogged my throat, making it hard for me to speak clearly. I felt something powerful pump through my veins, overtaking me. "You have to understand me Gwen. You have to stop pretending like you're strong and happy, like you're not discomforted. Do you realize how much it worries me, seeing you like this?"

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I know. I'm sorry. I just...I just didn't want to lose him again. He...changed and I thought that it would stay that way forever. So when he transformed back, I just..."

"Freaked out. I know, I know. I understand. But right now, I'd rather that he's alive. If he died in front of me, I'd-"

I'd what? What could I possibly do if Kevin died?

I swallowed my words down and cleared my throat. "C'mon. Let's get home. We need sleep more than food right now."

Gwen nodded. "You're right. Thank you." She gave me a quick hug and ran to the car.

As I followed her, my thoughts lingered.

_What would I do..._

_

* * *

_

A/N: *sigh* I fail. I totally fail at angst. But you know what? I tried. And that's ALL good, 'cause I also got YOU! Review and tell me what you think :D If not? ...Meh, I guess I can decide on my own. I am babbling like a crazy man right now...blahblahblah- SHIT test on Osmosis 7th period! Oh the irony...


	60. Drink

Disclaimer: Don't own. But I swear if I did, there wouldn't be so many pissed off fans :/

A/N: Wellll, when I was doing the rough draft for this, it was entirely Gwevin. It was a good idea to me, so I did the final draft and the next day I see Kevin turning into this monster because he absorbed energy. (pause) OH. THE IRONY. Seriously, just- (groan) I hate and love Dwayne McDuffie at the same time. It's a very confusing feeling, I gotta tell ya. But whatever. I love just messing with the two of them. So. I decided to do another one. Because the pain of doing the one I was planning to do is just...painful. SO, I'm doing this one. This is the best thing about fanfiction: The whole universe(s?) is your toy :D And by the way BROOKE, I only cockblocked you 'cause you were in the way xD So WHATever. Heeehee :D

Big Damn Table

60. Drink

My throat was parched. I needed something to **drink**. Something. Anything. The water fountain was tempting enough, but I didn't have enough time before class started. I skipped the water fountain and went straight to English class.

The class was buzzing with early morning conversation and the teacher was writing something on the board.

_Richard Lovelace_

I remember that name from somewhere. He was a famous poet, I was sure of it. I sat down in a chair and I was instantly swarmed by my friends.

"Hey, we've missed you for the past couple of days."

"Was it a mission?"

I nodded and took out the text book that was stuffed into the desk. I flipped to the page that was written on the board.

"Well you look really tired. You should sleep in."

"I don't want to miss school because of lack of sleep." My voice was raspy to my ears. Did I sound as bad to them? I really needed a drink...The bell rang before I can go on and everyone settles into their assigned seats. The teacher clears her throat, immediatly diving into Richard Lovelace's life. The words went in one ear, right out the other. What was wrong with me? Usually I absorbed whatever the teacher told me.

_Absorbed..._

I shivered a little. It was getting cold in this class. Usually it was so warm in here.

"Now who would like to read?" No one offered. I looked around, then raised a hand. "OK, Gwen. Go ahead."

I looked down at the page. _To Althea, from Prison_. The poem wasn't very long and it looked easy to read. I cleared my dry throat and began to read as clearly as I could.

"When Love with unconfinèd wings Hovers within my gates, And my divine Althea brings To whisper at the grates; When I lie tangled in her hair And fetter'd to her eye, The birds that wanton in the air Know no such liberty."

I smiled. Such a beautiful thing. Love...

My heart wrenched and my stomach churned. I clenched my fists under my desk and kept going.

"When flowing cups run swiftly round With no allaying Thames, Our careless heads with roses bound, Our hearts with loyal flames; When thirsty grief in wine we steep, When healths and draughts go free— Fishes that tipple in the deep know no such liberty. When, like committed linnets, I With shriller throat shall sing The sweetness, mercy, majesty, And glories of my King;When I shall voice aloud how good He is, how great should be, Enlargèd winds, that curl the flood, Know no such liberty."

The last passage made me freeze in my chair. The words seemed to echo around me. "Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage; Minds innocent and quiet take That for an hermitage; If I have freedom in my love And in my soul am free, Angels alone, that soar above, Enjoy such liberty."

_Nor iron bars a cage..._

My throat closed in and I almost couldn't breath. Everything around me blurred and my heart hammered in my chest.

"Do you need to get some water Ms. Tennyson?"

I nodded and slid out of my chair. I couldn't see the door. Everything was murky and fogged up, just a collection of colors. I reached out a hand. Something to hold on, something to keep me ground.

_Gwen!_

_Gwen!_

_Gwen, listen to me, are you alright?_

"Gwen, wake up, please. You have to come back."

With a gasp, I blinked. Everything came together again. I saw a pair of familiar pair of jade eyes, shielded by a curtain of russet brown hair. My throat was soothed and relieved, but my heart was the only thing that was unhealed. Swelling and in pain as it forced itself to keep beating.

"You're awake. You're okay." I found a pair of warm, comforting arms cradling me and I felt something trickle down my face, betraying and hot. I blinked them away, finding my voice.

"Kevin's going to be okay. He's going to be okay..."

* * *

A/N: So lovely Dwayne McDuffie. Tell me.

How did Ben and Gwen react so calmly and coldly by seeing Kevin as a psychotic monster again? Even seeing that coming, I would have expected to see Gwen cry, at least. Same happened when they thought that Granpa Max was dead.

Dwayne McDuffie: I don't think they were calm or cold at all. Alien Force and Ultimate Alien are more naturalistic than Ben 10 was. People have more natural reactions as opposed to exaggerated demonstration. They're in shock. Also**, Gwen isn't a big crier. She kicks ass when she's upset.**

There ya go people. Our Gwen can still find a way to be a strong girl. But can she tonight? (shudders in excitement) CANNOT WAIT FOR TONIGHT!


	61. Winter

Disclaimer: Don't own ^.^

A/N: Only 39 left! 8D Thank you guys SO much for helping me continue this! It makes me happy to know that somewhere in the world, someone is reading this and maybe even _enjoying _my writing. It makes me happy to know that 123 reviews are on here too (;

So, for the sake of not being in the mood for Gwevin (I hate you Dwaynnnnneeee!), I want to do something I haven't done in awhile: STUPID BEN. Inspired by events in Food Science first period :D

Big Damn Table

61. Winter

Ben stared at the board with a glazed look in his eyes, his pencil tapping vigorously against the open textbook. The people sitting around him, trying to concentrate, sent him angry glares. He didn't notice, his packet filled with blank, unanswered questions.

He hated this time of year. **Winter **brought in heavy, Cabin Fever inducing snow and that's when midterms come around right before Christmas Break. There was too much to memorize. Why couldn't they just have final exams? You had your entrance exams, benchmark 1, benchmark 2, midterms, benchmark 3...Then you had all the chapter and section reviews on top of that. If this was middle school, he could only imagine what it was like in high school.

With a heavy sigh, his forehead smacked against his textbook, trying to get some blood rushing to his head. Bash some smartness into it. It wasn't working.

His PSP was seriously burning a whole in his pocket. The new Sumo Slammers video game was epic and his fingers not pounding on the keys and kicking major bad guy ass was making him insane. Then he grinned. Maybe five minutes won't hurt. He could ask to go to the bathroom and play in the stall for a bit. If it was ten minutes, he could go back and say he had some "stomach problem", then he'd be clear. It was perfect!

He rose his hand. The teacher sighed. "Yes Ben?"

"Can I use the bathroom?"

"No." Plans shot down as fast as that. Dang. Harsh.

But this guy had a plan. He looked at the PMS ridden girl slumped in the corner and looked at the teacher innocently. "But I'm on my period."

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN A GIRL!"

* * *

A/N: Lulz what? It was hysterical for the last 10 minutes of class. We just couldn't stop laughing xD Well, review then :D And have a Happy Turkey Day!


	62. Spring

Disclaimer: Don't own and do care :/ (sigh)

A/N: Well, new episode this week. Excited? I am :D Apparently the Vreedle brothers'll be back xD But I'm sooo exhausted. A big chapter test is coming up and I have this huge outline. (pause) Actually, I'm not even done. (another pause) DAMMIT! (sigh) Alright, so I'll do this as I work on some shiz. (another awkward pause) CRAP! SECOND DRAFT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PREZI PRESENTATION IS DUE ON FRIDAY! SHIZZZZ! (I'm Caps Lock happy :D) Contains a tiny bit of Ben and Elena material (I'll explain the reasoning behind my madness later) AND another Stupid Ben moment :D Enjoy!

Big Damn Table

62. Spring

"Hey, how do you manage to eat so much and stay so fit?"

Ben looked up from his second tray of chili fries, some chili smeared on his upper lip. He grinned. "Metabolism and pure luck." He paused, pursing his lips and then nodded, grinning again. "And kicking major bad guy ass."

Elena laughed. She took a long sip of water and slowly recapped the bottle as she spoke. "You know, if you keep eating all of that junk food, it's all going to catch up to you."

"Whaddya mean by that?"

"Clogged arteries can lead to a heart attack or a stroke which can lead to a coma and/ or death."

Ben shrugged nonchalantly, tossing three cheese slathered french fries into his mouth. "I ex-fer-fise. It ba-wen-ces fings out."

Elena smacked him on the arm. "Talk with your mouth when it's _not _jammed with food."

He gulped it down with some soda. "Sorry. I said that I exercise. It balances things out."

Elena rolled her eyes and with a sigh, laid against the metal of his car. She took a few bites of her chicken wrap before speaking again. "Hey. You didn't mention soccer as a reason for being fit. Funny because we just came from soccer practice," she grinned, elbowing him.

He smiled. "Well, isn't that sort of a guarantee?"

"It is, but still." They ate their food in relaxed silence, the smell of Burger Shack all around them. "Hey, do you remember your first soccer game?"

He frowned. "Yeah. Do you?"

"Uh huh. It wasn't my best game. It started in the **spring**, ended in the middle of the summer. It wasn't a school team, just the district."

"Cool. Did you try out for it?"

"Well, yeah. It's the district team." She looked at him, grinning. "Not there was a high expectation or anything. We were still, like, seven. So what about you?"

Ben's frown deepened. "I hate my story."

"Oh c'mon. Can't be that bad."

"It is bad."

"Well tell me! You trust me, don't you?"

He made a face. They had this conversation before, and it led to a long, uncomfortable silence for a whole week. "OK. Fine. I'll tell you."

Elena eagerly sat up like a little child ready for her mother's story.

Ben chuckled. "It'll just make you laugh."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"OK, good point. So, I was six years old and my parents were letting me try all the sports that the school provided. There was baseball, a miniature basketball team, kickball- yes there was a kickball team- and all the others. When the others just bored me, I tried out for soccer. I knew the basics. I didn't even have to try out, because the team was so small and needed players. We had practice for a week before our first game and I showed my skills. I did all those crazy serves, kicking the ball in the goal at different angles and jumps like all the professionals did in the games."

"Sounds assuring," Elena nodded slowly and hesitantly. "But something tells me the assurance fades."

"Yeah. Well, the first game started off, well, horribly. 2-0, first two quarters. The guys were fast and I definantly didn't have the training those kids have. Our team chased after the ball like a swarm of bees, just trying to catch the ball for themselves then have it taken away by the other team. So I pushed myself in the third quarter, running after the ball faster than the others. I finally caught it and ran for the goal. I was so excited. I was going to score for my team and we were going to finally catch up! A lot of people were shouting my name, sounding like they were cheering for me. The goalie looked so shocked, that he couldn't even catch the ball. The ball got into the net and I went wild, doing cartwheels and making faces at the other team-"

"You scored the goal in your own team's goal didn't you?"

* * *

A/N: Heehee :D It's happened to me before when I was a kid, so I know how he feels :D

Well, why did I say I wanted to do Ben and Elena? Well...'cause I was watching this interview with the Ben 10 cast at the New York Comic Con from this year. The people asked what was coming up for UA and Greg Cipes (Kevin) and Yuri Lowenthal (Ben) confirmed that there were more...well...girls coming into the picture. Then Yuri said some old love interests come back and the writers have been paying attention to us when we ask for certain people to come back, like Elena and Kai. So...yeah. We're gonna see a lot of anti Ben and Julie fans pretty soon :/ Well review!


	63. Summer

Disclaimer: Don't own. Neh.

A/N: SO HUNGRY. But not hungry enough to eat that turkey sandwich. Ick. A week later, and we're still eating turkey leftovers. WHY COULDN'T THE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE LAST LONGER? Rawr. WELL not a lot of reviews :/ I'm glad to have them though! Not trying to be greedy or anything, promise! I'd just like to receive more advice and information that can help me improve with my writing. Believe me, I need ALL the help I can get! And what the *HONK* Was up with the episode? GOD KEVIN! "The only reason you're alive is because of what you used to mean to me." Then flies away, leaving Gwen **CRYING **again. Oh, yeah, she cried before. Remember Vendetta? *sigh* So, we'll see Kevin absorbing Gwen's powers next episode. (silence) You didn't see the ad? Huh. Well, guess you'll see then ;)

This is inspired by events from today. 'Cause I'm depressed and not in the mood for romance. (groan)

Big Damn Table

63. Summer

"Proofs, proofs, proofs. Life would be so much easier without proofs," Gwen sighed, flipping through her Geometry notes.

Her father chuckled, looking over her shoulder. "Ah. Midterm reviews, huh?"

She nodded and sighed heavily, looking at him. "Do you remember any of this Daddy?"

He got comfortable in the chair next to her, taking a sip of his coffee. He thought about it, then shook his head. "Nope. Actually, what I was working on in college didn't require proofs, so I don't really remember them." He scooted closer. "So do you need help or-"

"No, they're really easy, it's just unnecessary. I can just solve the problem and be done with it. I don't need to really explain the obvious. Like this one. Line HN is congreunt to CT. Line EG is congruent to GW. So it's easy to figure out out that this is a vertical angle." She rested her chin on her hand, tapping her pencil on the table. She let out a long, heavy sigh. "I want to be a doctor one day. I want to help people feel better, cure diseases, make the world a better place. I just want to take the easy direction but...there is no easy direction. I want to fight for something that I want to do."

He smiled. "That's right. I know you can do it, you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you're my baby girl, that's why." He gave her a swift peck on the cheek, getting out of the chair. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

She grinned. "Alright. Thanks Daddy."

"No problem sweetheart."

She quickly returned to her work, finishing the proofs within minutes. Like she said, they weren't hard, just unnecessary. She pushed the Honors Geometry notes to the side, taking room for her Honors Chem binder, when she saw something unusual. She gasped, her heart wrenching. "Oh no..."

A tiny lady bug laid there, its wings pitifully flickering and its color washed out and drained. What used to be vibrant and filled with life, was now slowly and painfully fading away. "Poor guy," she murmured. She scooped it up carefully, letting it rest on the tips of her fingers. "You belong in **summer **weather. It's almost winter." She smiled. "You're a tough little thing aren't you? You made it this far. You must have some strength still in you." It flicked it wings a bit again, as if it were responding back to her. She was overwhelmed with guilt. Lady bugs were only supposed to live through the spring and the summer. Some people say that lady bugs brought good luck if it flew into your room. Some people say that if a lady bug landed on a girl's hand, she would wed in a few years.

If a lady bug happened to be dying right before you, was it an omen of bad things to come?

No. She wasn't going to think of that. Instead, she was going to do something. She smiled, determined. She knew just the trick. "C'mon little guy. Let's go to my room." She cupped it up in her hands and made her way upstairs. She went to her bed, putting the ladybug gently on her comforter. It flickered its wings again and she laughed. "Don't get too excited now, OK?" She kneeled next to her bed, pulling out the purple book with gold tracings on it.

Despite the dry spell of crimes to stop with Ben over the past five years, she had been perfecting her spells. She had gotten so much better than when she was ten years old.

She flipped through the book, reading through the spells. Then she finally found what she was looking for. "Here we go little guy." She cupped it up in her hands again and closed her eyes. "Lūdzu, atnesiet atpakaļ veselību šī dārgmetālu dzīves."

She felt warmth flood from her fingertips and puddle in her palms, throbbing with magic and life. She tried not to close her eyes, grinning. She knew that it was working, she could just feel it. She had that spark of intution that this was all going to work out and things for this tiny life were going to be better. Finally the warmth faded away and she felt that it was safe to open her eyes. "Oh my God, it worked!"

The ladybug's wings beated heartedly and more lively than before and the color was the rich blood red that it had once before along with six black dots on its back. It flew up in the air, buzzing around her room and sticking to the cool glass window. Not liking the cold, it flew away, landing on her knee, where it was covered with the warm, fleece pajama pants, and stayed there. It flickered its wings, as if content with the situation and stayed there for a minute or two as Gwen watched it.

It was like an omen. Well, a good one this time. She had revived a good luck charm, giving it another chance at life. She felt accomplished, giving this little life another chance to just fly around contently and feel alive.

Little did she know that two weeks later, she would be reviving yet another life.

* * *

A/N: Who would be KEVIN, who is currently a pyschopathic MONSTER who wants to possibly kill Gwen in the next episode :l Yikes. SO REVIEW PLEASE! I haven't been receiving many reviews, and it gets me worried :/


	64. Autumn

Disclaimer: I've never really owned it.

A/N: Yey for reviews! :D I'm so so glad about the positive feedback :) Sad thing is, the ladybug that had inspired me died this morning :( It depressed me and I'm taking it as a bad sign O.O It must be a bad sign of bad things to come, I swear! I couldn't help but tear up a little... (pause) I must be PMSing. Either that, or it's Evil Kev. (sigh) God, I know this episode is gonna be good :D I just know it! AND I CONVERTED BROOKE! Hahahahaha, she's half Bevin, half Gwevin fan now :P

Again, inspired by events a little. Just a little. A smidge. Past event that is _far _behind me now. Thank God.

Big Damn Table

64. Autumn

Julie sat on the floor, her heart drumming in her chest as she heard the clinks and snips behind her. Behind her was an impatient sigh. "Look, you don't have to be so nervous. Have some faith in me, and it'll make things a lot more easier for you _and _for me."

Julie smiled sheepishly, looking over her shoulder. "Sorry. I'm just really scared. I haven't had a hair cut in so long."

Kari smiled back, her facial expression softening a little. "It's alright, I understand." She worked her fingers through Julie's long, thick jet black hair, pursing her lips. "Don't get me wrong. I think your hair is freaking gorgeous. It's just too long and it makes your face look younger. You need something sophisticated. Something that makes you look more mature, something that can grab a guy's attention-"

"I thought this was a sleepover, not an appointment."

Kari laughed. "Alright, I'll shut up. C'mon, let's go into the bathroom so I can wash and condition your hair before I start trimming."

Kari had invited Julie over for the night for some primping and cheesy romantic comedies, knowing that Julie was having a rough time. Her boyfriend had recently broken up with her over a text message, then shortly after dated another girl. Then after a slight interest with a senior, it appeared to her that a relationship between a senior and a sophomore like her just wasn't going to work out.

To gain some confidence, she sought for Kari's help with a make over. Her parents were owners of a popular downtown salon in Bellwood, and Kari was following in their footsteps. With gorgeous honey blond hair and pretty, French manicured nails, Kari was _the _go to girl for beauty tips and advice. Julie trusted her it was just that she hadn't cut her hair in a long time.

This was the time to change. **Autumn **was the time for new beginnings. Julie had a rough start to the new season, and she needed to quickly change some things if she were to have a good time.

"OK. We got three oils here." Kari pointed to three jars of oil, ranging in colors of amber to lime green. "We have olive oil, avocado oil and this-" She pointed to the amber liquid. "Is the family secret oil mixture. We have to keep this a secret because it's what our family business is made of. We can't live without it."

"You can depend on me to keep it a secret. It magnolia seed oil and...what else?"

"Meh, we can get to it later. We need to get your hair damp before we get the oil saturated in the hair strands. You can you turn back and dip your head into the sink?"

Julie obeyed Kari's demands and listened as Kari told her some hair tips and the difference of benefits between washing hair with warm or cold water. For the first time in weeks, she wasn't concerned about any guys. She felt like she was having a fun time and becoming someone new.

Kari dried her hair a little, leaving some of the moisture in. She then poured a little of each oil into a bowl and mixed it with a painter's brush before adding even strokes of the mixutes onto her hair. "It's going to prevent split ends after I cut your hair and keeps in the shine and softness too. It's going to be really nice, I can assure you." She paused as she worked on the bottom strands, then smirked. "So. Are you into soccer, or football?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"The boys."

"Ah." Julie frowned. "You know how uncomfortable it is for me to start dating again, don't you?"

"I know. I just want to know if you're interested with overly muscular jocks or lean and mean machines?"

"You mean football or soccer right?"

"That's what I said, right?"

Julie laughed, shaking her head. "I don't know. Soccer I guess."

Kari grinned, then lapsed into silence, which worried Julie a bit. "Uh oh. What are you thinking now?"

"Nothing."

"No. Seriously. What are you thinking? What is going on through your mind right now? Tell me!"

"Nope." Then she sighed. "OK. Fine. You know Ben Tennyson right?"

"Yeah, he's in my biology class. He's sort of cute..." She paused, then her eyes widened, realizing what Kari was trying to do. "You're going to set me up with him, aren't you!"

Kari burst out laughing. "Oh, you caught me! Listen, I know that you don't want to date, but you _need _to break out of that mold and get to meet other guys. If you aren't going to break out of that mold and show your beautiful self, no man's going to find their true love- which would be you." She put the painter's brush down. "OK. Snip, snip time."

Julie gulped. Whatever Kari had planned for her, she wasn't ready for it.

-3 Weeks Later-

"Hey! Julie!"

Julie turned around, her face flaming when she saw who it was. Ben Tennyson ran up to her, wearing his signature green jacket and fancy looking wrist watch. "Hi Ben. You needed me?"

His face clouded with guilt, offering a shy smile. "Yeah...sorry. I only seem to come to you for advice."

"It's no problem," she smiled sincerely. Her heart hammered in her chest and she was scared that this was going to be another one of those guys. She was going to fall for him, he was going to drive her into his life, then kick her out. She didn't want this to happen again. She-

"OK, so you finished the assignment for Biology, right? I am so lost on celluar respiration and photosynthesis. Is it-"

"Photosynthesis used solar energy and carbon dioxide to create glucose and oxygen. Celluar respiration is practically the same, just flipped."

Ben grinned. "Cool, thanks." He paused, then smiled a little bit more softly. "Hey, listen, uh...I heard that you have a tennis game tommorow. I invited my cousin and my friend over. I was wondering if it was OK if they could meet you."

She felt frozen to the floor. "Um...meet your friends? Uh, I don't see why not."

"Well, you just seem like a really nice person. Well, you _are _nice, but still. I j-" He cut off, his face turning red. "Um...it's at 4 right?"

"Yeah, it's at 4." She grinned, feeling more happier than before. "I can't wait to meet them."

"Cool! Awesome, uh...see you later then?"

"Definantly." She watched as Ben turned around and disappeared into the crowd. Kari passed by with a soft chuckle and ruffled Julie's chin length hair.

"Told you it would work out."

* * *

A/N: Wanted to do a Ben and Julie one. Just 'cause I felt like it and didn't want to do a Gwevin, because they are just SO. GOD. DAMN. DEPRESSING. SIGH. Well, hope you guys review again! I'd love the feedback that I got like the last time :)


	65. Passing

Disclaimer: Don't own anything Ben 10.

A/N: Yey! Depression is fading away :D The Operation KAB review made me laugh and I'm glad you guys feel the same way about things as I do! Well, the midterm for biology is in seventh period and it's second period right now. It's going to be easy, it's just osmosis I'm having a little difficulty with (oh the irony...). My biology teacher smiled at me yesterday and asked me if I was watching the finale this Friday. I. LOVE. My honors biolody class. SO MUCH. So very freaking much XD

And let me tell you, I was very impressed with this one story called Personal Destination by Defying Physix. I'm not going to spoil, but the shipping of the story is unexpected. It's very good and unexpected :D For "Passing", I orginally had NO idea what I was going to do. But after some inspiration, I came up with the perfect (in my opinion) plan :D Enjoy!

Big Damn Table

65. Passing

Julie's eyes were stinging by the time she got home. It seemed like whenever she acted strong in front of others, she would break down when she was alone. When she was alone, there was no one to convince her that things we going to be okay. She had nothing to hold on to now.

She sighed heavily, tossing the messenger bag to the ground, throwing open the fridge door. "I'll shove my face with two gallons of ice cream, bitch and groan about how my life sucks, then I'll practice my shots in the backyard. It's a Friday. I got time." She shuffled through the fridge and the freezer, grabbing as many heart-stopping sugary foods she could get her hands on. She put them on the counter then looked through the pantry for more things to eat. She discovered a loaf of bread that was opened but uneaten. She looked at the date, discovering it only had a day until it expired. "This will do..." She opened the bag, tossing two slices into the toaster and began munching on some strawberries.

Julie went through her second break up. Her freshman year, and she had two guys that had no care for her whatsoever. She was going to have to stop dating for a long time if she didn't want another heartbreak to mess with.

Eating at the moment was the only thing that made her think of something else. She was **passing **school so far and she was excellent in tennis. She was physically fit and she wasn't a completely ugly person. Yes, she had acne here and there, and she wasn't exactly the..._biggest _girl in the world, but hell, no one was perfect.

Smiling, feeling better already, she took the toast and started lathering on some butter on the slices. She took a bite, looking at the loaf. "Maybe I can eat the rest of this..." she murmured, popping a few more slices in the toaster. She realized the first lone slice of bread, then froze.

"Oh no," she groaned. "I'm getting symbolism here..."

The lone first piece of bread. The one that people would skip all the time, then toss it in the trash when they are done with the other ones. Just like her.

Staring at the piece for a bit, she sighed, taking that piece out and taking a bite of it. "Hm. You don't taste all that bad either..."

* * *

"Geometery is SO hard. I don't know why you think it's so easy."

Julie rose an eyebrow. "Don't you have a C in that?"

"Yeah, but I still have a hard time with it. Tell me how to work this problem, pleeeease?"

Julie smiled. "OK. Fine, I can help. What kind of problem is it?"

Ben had come over to her house for a little study session after they both had practice. Ben was having some diffuculty it seemed, in all of his subjects and Julie was just the girl he needed for tutoring.

"Hey, can I have something to eat?"

"Sure, go ahead. Help yourself. My parents said we need to eat everything before it expires, so go crazy."

Ben grinned. "Sweet. Be right back." He quickly ran into the kitchen and Julie contunied looking through Ben's problems. He had basic Geometry and really the only problems he had was with remembering how to solve a certain problem. He just needed to recognize the differences and he would be passing everything in math class with flying colors.

He came back, holding a plate of toast. He gave her a piece and munched on a piece. The certain piece caught her eye and she smiled. "You...eat the front piece?"

"Yeah, I do. I always do. I think it's the best part of the whole bread." He paused in thought. "You know, not a lot of people give the front piece a thought because it's usually the smaller piece and it has a lot of the crust on it. I've always liked that part of the bread." He looked at her. "Do you?"

Julie's smiled widened, an honest to goodness smile, and nodded. "I always have."

* * *

A/N: THEY BLOCKED FANFICTION AT SCHOOL! ! (sigh) Well, you won't be seeing me as much. It took me awhile to update and I've been trying to send back messages when I can :/ So I really hope you guys review and tell me what you think.


	66. Rain

Disclaimer: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-Whatever man. *leaves*

A/N: Urgh. I'm getting bad aren't I? I haven't been getting many reviews and that worries me :/ I really really hope you guys review as soon as possible, because I need ALL the help I can get! Comments on how I can improve can help A LOT. I NEED YOU. Not like that, but I need you. To review. Please God. Oh, and by the way...

EVERYBODY GOT AIDS AND SHIT! (pause) Thank you "Showgirls." I needed that pep :)

Big Damn Table

66. Rain

"Cliche. Really cliche." Kevin shook his head, sighing in a mocking disappointed way. "I thought you had better taste than _that_."

Gwen, who was just absorbed in the romantic scene of her favorite movie, glared at him. "I _do _have a good taste. I just revel in the classics, that's all."

"Kissing in the **rain** is a classic?" Kevin snorted. "I don't see it being very romantic. Isn't it cold? You would think it's a bit uncomfortable to be rolling around in the mud like that."

Gwen rolled her eyes, then averted her attention back to the screen. The annoyance still lingered, but there was a sense of longing and adoration. She let out a dreamy sigh, pulling her knees up to her chin. She wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees, cuddling up into the couch. "It's like they're in their own little world. They're both so absorbed in their lives. It's just so-" Her eyes snapped away from the TV, directing her attention to Kevin again. "Would you stop?"

Kevin, who was pretending to gag himself, quickly removed his hands and folded them neatly in his lap. He gave her his best innocent smile, but left the mischeviousness in his eyes. "Stop what?"

"The...gagging...thing. What you were doing a few seconds ago!"

"What gagging thing?"

"Kevin!"

"Gwen!"

She groaned, giving up. She could never win against this guy. She grabbed the remote, handing it to him. "Here. Switch it to something else that has fast cars and skimpy girls with double D's. Don't mind me. I'm getting something to eat." She got up from the couch to leave Kevin be, but he followed her anyway.

"I already have fast cars and a girl. Sure, the girl isn't skimpy and she doesn't have the 'double D's' but she's perfectly fine to me."

Damn. He broke her.

She smiled at that, opening the fridge. "Why can't you handle watching _one_ romantic movie?"

"Because romance movies are so fake. It's so lovey dovey and you only get an abstract feeling of 'Awww, they're just soooo in love.'" He ended the fake sweet voice, rolling his eyes.

"You watch horror movies."

"Again, fake. They're just funny to laugh at."

"Action movies."

"Gwen, we go through more crap every day than what those character go through."

"True." She opened a container of strawberries, popping one into his mouth and taking a bite of one for herself. "I still don't see what it is with guys and romantic movies."

Kevin snorted. "I don't know what other guys think about romance movies, but I know I'm just not a fan of them. At all." Then he smirked, taking a strawberry and pressing it against Gwen's lips. "I prefer real life romance. I don't like seeing another couple gettin' it on and talking about their lives."

His eyes were dead set on hers, watching the thought and concern whirl through her features. With a tentative bite of the strawberry, she murmured, "What _do _you like?"

From a moaning, horror/ action genre loving teenage boy to Mr. Roguish Charm, he leaned in, tugging the top of the strawberry from her lips and tossed it over his shoulder. He watched as she froze right then and there, her chest sucking in as her breath caught in her throat. Her skin lightly flushed and her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly.

He chuckled. "I like the expressions you make whenever I do something. You roll you eyes whenever I make a corny joke, but I can see that twitch of the lips as you try and fight a smile." He traced his finger along her jaw and he smirked as she slightly trembled at the touch. "I like watching you react to my touch. You jump and you quiver like a scared little rabbit sometimes, or you have that slight flush. You don't get overly red, just a pretty pink color."

"And...what else..." She let out a small sigh, her hands finding his back, pulling him tighter. "Do you like?"

Kevin saw what she was doing. _Fine. We can play this game for awhile. I won't back down. And besides...I was looking forward to an interesting night anyway. _He watched her eyes glaze over as soon as his fingers traced the cupid's bow of her upper lip. "You have the greatest mouth in the world. Gentle. Soft. Then when things begin to heat up...well...I honestally don't know how to describe it. It's just hot. Red hot."

"How hot is red hot?"

Kevin's heart skipped a beat as he heard the smooth talking words come from her mouth. He mentally slapped himself. _Don't let her get to you. This is your game, not hers. _He calmed the trembling of his hand and rested it on her shoulder. He gently tugged her closer and leaned in, resting his head on her shoulder. He slightly grazed his teeth against the smooth skin of her neck. A paled bruise from weeks before seeming to burn against his lips.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"You know what _I _like about you?"

Kevin chuckled. "My bad boy charm? My dark, mysterious eyes? My black hair?"

"Mmm, yes, but..." With a laugh, she ducked under him so she could brush her lips against his ear to whisper, "I like how you make everything a challange for me."

* * *

A/N: DEAR LORD. THAT WAS TERRIBLE D: I need you guys to tell me if I fail or not. Do feel to cyberly slap me across the face right now. GOD I SUCK AT ROMANCE. And ParamoreXO and Skylark Evanson. You two are the bestest of the best romance fanfiction writers on this site. I need both you input puh-LEASE. I need help and if you can offer advice, I will gladly take it and do what I can to improve.

Please guys, you are my only hope :D Review!


	67. Snow

Disclaimer: Don't really own any of the characters on Ben 10 'cause they are ALL owned by MoA. Damn shame :/

A/N: Wellll, guess not :/ ashefurby1313 already had an amazing fic that involved the same idea that I had for this sooo I'm not doing that...but hers was still amazing anyway :D

AND I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Operation KAB, No Name (who won't get a freaking account that way I can't thank him/her thankfully xD), Skylark Evanson and ParamoreXO, you guys made me smile :) I guess I'm just going through so much self doubt right now and listening to you guys made me smile. No Name, you provided a LOT of helpful information for the chapter and I appreciate you for that :) I would love to read your writing! And ParamoreXO, it's totally OK xD I noticed the last statement and I was a bit confused at first. I was like "She says I'm good, then she says that I'm not...? What?" Then your other statement cleared things up xD Heck, it happens, you know?

Watching Star Trek Next Generation and watching Wil Wheaton's character Wesley :) He's pretty cute, back in the 90's ;) Haha, well enjoy :) Inspired by events a few days ago...

Big Damn Table

67. Snow

Kevin couldn't believe this. Why was it so hard to do a simple task like this? It shouldn't be too hard. The kid was two years old and the doors were baby proof locked. He couldn't be too hard to find at all.

"DEVLIN EVAN LEVIN! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Gwen ran into the kitchen, panting. "You too?"

Kevin turned away from the cabinets under the sink, sighing. "I guess you didn't find Jaylyn?"

"Her mana is all over the place." Gwen plopped down on the stool, opening water bottle and taking a long drink of it. "I tried looking everywhere for her. Even Delvin. I still can't find them anywhere!"

"Have you checked our room?"

Gwen's eyes widened then narrowed. "Dammit. No I haven't." She got up from the stool and ran upstairs, Kevin chuckling and following her close behind.

And to think this all started by a little jacket.

* * *

15 Minutes Ago~

"It's **snow**!" Jaylyn shouted, her chubby hands on the window. Her eyes were wide with amazement and she kept shouting "Snow" over and over again. Delvin joined the chant, jumping up and down in excitement. Gwen got up from the couch, slipping from Kevin's hold, and looked to see the snow that was falling softly onto the ground.

"No kidding," Gwen smiled, a little surprised. "It looks like it may stick." She turned to Kevin, her tone teasing. "I guess you were wrong."

"Well, when they say it's a 20 percent chance of snow, if it ever does, it doesn't really stick." Kevin got up as well, joining his wife and kids at the window. "Stupid Weather Channel needs better measurements than just 'predictions.'"

"At least you don't have to go to work today."

"Yeah, that's right." He grabbed the giggling kids up into a strong hug. "Looks like we'll be having a White Christmas guys!"

The kids squealed in delight, although they didn't know the true meaning of it quite at such a young age. Gwen smiled. "Do you think they want to go outside? It is cold out there."

Kevin smiled at that, then grinned at the them. "So kids, what do you think? Ready to go outside and make a snow angel?"

They agreed in yet another round of squeals, then they ripped from his arms and ran to the door, pulling on the knob. Gwen and Kevin exchanged a knowing look. These kids were going to be needing heavy coverage if they were going outside. Jaylyn and Delvin absolutely hated getting dressed and whenever Gwen and Kevin tried to dress them, it took forever for them to cooperate.

"Whose going to be the evil parent for this round?" Kevin asked silently, letting Delvin try to open the baby proof-ed door knob.

Gwen glared at him. "Oh no. I'm not doing it alone. I already had enough of Delvin and Jaylyn this morning. Do you know how hard it is to put a nice, warm fleece one piece clothing on two children? It's a pain in the ass. So we are _both _handling the two of them."

Kevin grinned, shrugging. "Fine by me. Cutting the effort into half. Like it. So you want to grab the stuff?"

"No, you do it. Not me."

"Fine, fine." Kevin got up and head to the closet as Gwen moved Jaylyn and Delvin from the door. Really, he didn't know what was so important about packing this kids up in heavy jackets and thick fleece sweaters like they were about to be put in a box and shipped off into another country. Just a long sleeve shirt, some sort of pants and gloves. Through Gwen's eyes, it seemed like the kids needed to look like Ralph's little brother in the Christmas Story. They were going to be waddling and rolling through the snow.

Smiling at the image, he grabbed the jackets that were needed, then realized he didn't know what Gwen really wanted. He walked back to the living room, jacket in hand. "Hey, you want them to wear the really thick, heavy ones? The ones from Old Navy?"

"I don't know, what do they look like?"

"You don't remember?"

"No, not really. I don't remember which coats I bought from- Uh oh."

Jaylyn and Delvin's eyes were locked on the jacket in Kevin's hands. Like deer in front of headlights, they were frozen, bunched in. Then in record timing they flew from the living room, not a breeze following their tracks.

"Shit."

* * *

A/N: haha xD My baby bro Nicholas (who is 14 months currently) hates getting dressed :D So when it was snowing and we wanted him to go outside and stay warm, as soon as we took out the jacket, he ran like hell. For a small guy, he can run pretty damn fast xD So this may not be in detail or romantic like I first thought it would be, but this is enough for me :) Again, thanks for the feedback guys, I appreciate it :D Review and have a Happy Holiday :)


	68. Lightening

Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10 characters because Men of Action does. What? It's not just one man you know. There's actually four of them.

A/N: Ah Brooke, you have no idea. I'm writing a fanfic for Brooke as a Christmas present as a thank you for her buying me the Last Sacrifice from Vampire Academy. And let me tell you, it takes something special to return something as nice as a present like that (VA is better than Twilight. Give it a shot). So, for that, I am doing a Bevin fanfic for her.

I'm not a homophobe. I have gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and straight friends. I don't really care about anyone's sexuality, just what kind of personality that person has. So when I say I'm against the shipping of Bevin, it's not because they're both guys, it's just against my shipping :/ And I'm friends with a few Bevin fans, so I'm sorta, kinda OK with it. Just clearing things up :D

SO ONWARD WITH THE GWEVIN! 8D

Big Damn Table

68. Lightening

Gwen's eyes remained wide open in child-like fear, her body quivering like a leaf. She kept muttering to herself about how stupid it was to be afraid of something so small. She wasn't being gentle about it either. Besides, she had faced far more worse things in her life. The nightmare inducing Ghostfreak was a good example. Then there was the sight of Magister Labrid dying right in front of her, with her absolutely powerless and unable to do anything but just watch. Then she had a nightmare of Kevin coming into her room as a monster again and sucking the energy from her until she was a dried up corspe.

It still didn't matter though. She was afraid of **lightening**.

She would never admit it like Ben had before. Of course, Ben was sheepish about it and was repeatedly teased from Kevin about it, but he wasn't scared for the same reason. He was like that ever since he was four. The feeling hadn't faded.

The reason that she was terrified? When she was seven years old, her cat Ginger escaped outside and when her parents were looking for her while Gwen was at school, it started raining. When she got back, her parents told her they lost Ginger. At night, Gwen searched for Ginger when her parents didn't know and when she was looking in the city park for Ginger, a lightening bolt struck a tree and fell on her, breaking her leg. Ginger was never found ever since that night and Gwen was terrified of facing lightening storms alone ever since.

The phobia of lightening mingled in with her other phobias such as the fear of spiders, wasps, hornets, closed in spaces and being buried alive. Even though she acted as a strong girl, memories of the past always came by to break that big girl image.

She startled herself when a streak of lightening crashed down. Thunder moments later joined in, the bed beneath her quaking.

"This is ridiculous," she hissed. "Absolutely ridiculous."

The body next to her turned over with a little groan. "You're still awake?"

"Oh jeez, sorry Kevin. Did I wake you up?"

Kevin yawned a bit more loud than necessary. "I've been fading in and out." He rubbed his eyes, muffling yet another yawn.

"You seem pretty tired." She felt guilty about her tossing and mumbling about. "Do you want me to move? I can sleep on an inflatable-"

"And miss the chance of your parents allowing me to stay over night with them out of town?" He let out a sleepy chuckle and she couldn't help but relax as his arms found themselves around her waist. She could feel his warm, stable heartbeat against her back, calming her frantic heart.

He was right. Her parents finally built enough trust to let Kevin stay the night over at her house while they were at work for the night. Even with her dad mentioning the "gun collection" in the basement, they trusted Kevin enough that he wasn't going to do anything reckless. Gwen always had quickly flipped on Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant on the TV whenever her parents walked into the living room, even adding comments about how stupid the teenagers were and how they couldn't wait long enough. Gwen and Kevin were able to sleep in the same bed, they just had to be...responsible.

"So why are you still up?" Kevin asked softly. His fingers kneaded her shoulders. "Wow. You're all tense." He kept at it for a few moments, Gwen feeling completely comforted now by the touch. "Ahhh. I see."

"What?"

"I think it's 'cause you're a bit uncomfortable by the new sleeping arrangements. Maybe not uncomfortable, hopefully just nervous."

"Huh? N-no!" She could immediatly feel the muscles in her shoulders bunch up and knew Kevin would mistake it as a quick lie. She cleared her throat, feeling her face warm. "It's just that...Well, okay, maybe 1 percent of my mind is feeling that, but..."

"But...? I really don't like it when you end sentences with a 'but' like that."

"Sorry, sorry. It's just...well..."

"Come on. Nothing to be afraid of."

"You'll laugh at me."

"No I won't."

"Yes you will."

"Pinky promise."

Gwen muffled a laugh at that. "Seriously?"

"Cross my heart and hope to live. Serious. Pinky promise."

"Fine." Locking her small pinky with his, she sighed. "OK. Truth is, I'm-" A crash of lightening made her squeak, making her jump. Her cheeks reddened as thunder rolled by and squeaked out the rest of her confession pitifully. "Scared of lightening." She waited for him to break his pinky promise. It was all good. With one good kick behind, she wouldn't have to worry about teen pregnancy or any pregnancy for the rest of her life.

There was a soft chuckle and before a protest rose to her lips, he nuzzled into her hair. "I remember this one thing my dad thought me when I was little. And after my dad died, my mom would still do it with me at night."

Relaxing and unwinding the coiling in her legs, she turned to look at the lining of his face. She could see the softness in his eyes. "What...did she tell you?"

"Whenever there was a thunderstorm, I would always cower in my bed and wait for myself to just fall asleep. Lightening and thunder scared me all the time when I was a kid. So Dad would sneak in my room when Mom was asleep and he always told me whenever there was a streak of lightening, count until there was thunder. The amount you counted was how many miles that lightening was away from you."

"That sounds unrealistic."

"Hey, I was trying to lighten the mood. No pun intended."

"I know, I know, it's just...what if you started counting and it cut you off at one?"

"Then you're screwed."

"Oh. That's a comforting thought."

"Just...humor me. Try it. Come on. It's fun."

"OK, OK. Next one, alright?"

"Good to me." His fingers laced through hers and he laughed. "This'll be fun. Promise." Lightening lit the room and he didn't miss a beat. "1...2...3..."

Gwen joined in. "5...6...7-" Thunder rolled by. "OK. 7 miles. That's good."

"Alright, see? It's not all bad."

Gwen couldn't fight a smile this time. "OK, I admit. It's kind of cool." Lightening. They both counted in unison. "1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12-" Thunder.

"Huh. It's blowing away now."

"That fast?"

"Logic sucks."

"Alright then." Lightening. "1...2-" Thunder shook the bed hard enough to make them move an inch. Gwen glared at him. "You were saying?"

"Logic still sucks."

* * *

A/N: I remember doing that a LONG time ago. Maybe I'll do it when there's another storm sometime. Maybe. Not sure. OK, done with this and is off to work on "He Said, He Said" (the Bevin for Brooke). If you're a Bevin fan and interested, keep an eye out for it. REVIEW GWEVIN LOVERS :D


	69. Thunder

Disclaimer: Don't own any Ben 10 characters or anything from Selena Gomez.

A/N: Ah, I spelled lightening wrong :/ Thanks for pointing that mistake out Sky haha ^^ And the title for Big Damn Table isn't really all that clever :D It came from a literal BIG DAMN TABLE of the themes for this one shot collection :) How big? Let's say there's about 31 of these left. Yeah. It's gonna be awhile xD And I'm glad to know some people does that method too :D

Let the idiot Ben fun ensue ^.^ And yes Brooke. This is the 69th submission. Har har.

Big Damn Table

69. Thunder

_You are the **thunder **_

_And I am the lightning_

"Make it stop! Make it stop!"

Sandra Tennyson sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She couldn't concentrate on her book for five minutes, could she? She had finally decided to join in with the Harry Potter craze since the last movie of the series was only a few months away. She really hadn't gotten the whole point of the craze of some book series, but within two weeks she was on the fourth book.

"GOD! Why must this torture me so? _WHY_?"

Closing the book firmly, she glared at Carl. "Can you _please_ see what Ben is doing? I'm trying to read and it's really hard to do so with him screaming like that."

Carl frowned. "But I wanted to watch the rest of the game! The Patriots are losing and I want to see their asses whooped!"

"On the count of three," she hissed, grabbing the TV remote. Her finger lifted over the Power button. "One-"

"Fine, fine! I'll do it! Yeesh."

(30 Minutes Ago)

Ben logged on to Facebook, irritated out of his mind. He had finished looking at the Sumo Slammers forum and the head writer wasn't answering fan questions like he hasn't for the past month. Maybe he was busy, sure, but it didn't take long to answer a few questions!

Julie messaged him, breaking through the anger.

**Julie: Oh hey! 8D How are you?**

**Ben: OK I guess. How about you?**

**Julie: Same here I guess. I would probably feel better if this song was stuck in my head. **

**Ben: What is it?**

**Julie: "Naturally" by Selena Gomez and the Scene. I have no idea why it's stuck in my head now. It's kind of an old song. **

**Ben: Never heard of it. **

**Julie: Really?**

**Ben:Yup.**

**Julie: Listen to it.**

**Ben: But if it's stuck in your head, why should it be stuck in mine?**

**Julie: that way we can BOTH be tortured :)**

She had a point there. There was nothing worse than being the only one with a song stuck in your head. It repeats over and over again, taking over your mind. With someone else to back you up, it feels good to not be alone. Like for example when you have a Justin Bieber song stuck in your head, and you feel a very murderous idea creeping up in your mind. With another friend feeling the same thing, you both can make up a plan! (A/N: Kidding. Sorta.)

**Ben: OK. Fine. I'll look it up on YouTube.**

**Julie: K**

After looking for the music video, he finally found it and realized that he _did _know this song. It was popular on the radio a few months back and he heard it as a ringtone on girls' cell phones.

**Ben: Heard of this before actually. It's really catchy.**

**Julie: Uh oh.**

**Ben: "Uh oh" what?**

**Julie: It IS catchy. That's how it starts. **

**Ben: So far its good now.**

**Julie: That's what I thought at first.**

**Ben: Hey, whatever man. It's good now.**

**Julie: Wait and see.**

The music video contunied its catchy beat and bright, flashing lights, with Selena Gomez parading around in her sequin outfit like there was no tommorow. Then he was singing along and _enjoying _it. He was tapping his foot to the beat and tapping his fingers against the desk. When it was over, he played it again.

**Ben: I like it.**

**Julie: Did you play it again?**

**Ben: Yeah, I am.**

**Julie: Then prepared to be brainwashed.**

(Present)

Carl approached Ben's room and rose an eyebrow at the scene. Ben's back was turned to him, muttering restlessly as he watched some video on the computer screen. Taking a hesistant step forward, he chuckled. "What's going on son? Watching something?"

"Too...much...stuck...catchy...too catchy..." A shiver ran through Ben's body. "I...think I'd like some time alone dad. If you don't mind."

"Um...sure son, but can you promise to keep quiet? Your mother's trying to read."

"Sure."

"OK then." Carl closed the door behind him and head back to the living room. Plopping down on the couch and turning the volume up to listen as the Saints were at the 1st and Down, Carl sighed and laid back.

"So, what's with Ben?"

"He's going through a phase Sandra like all teenagers do. It's nothing to really be concerned about."

* * *

A/N: Ahh I loved this xD Well, the highlight of this was the part when the SAINTS ARE KICKING THE PATRIOTS' ASSES! (sigh) So yeah. Needed to get that out of my system :D REVIEW :)


	70. Storm

Disclaimer: Don't own any Ben 10 characters. But I DO own Xavier :3

A/N: Ahhh, nothing like hot chocolate to relax your mind :D Actually, I'm pretty bad when I drink hot chocolate. And as in bad, I mean either really random or I have my mind stuck in the gutter :P ...so this may be a bad or good thing. Not sure what's going to happen. Hmm...well, I guess you'll find out xD I'll try and be a good girl :D And to the people that don't know who these two are, Xavier is my OC and Jaylyn (Gwevin child :D) is his best friend :)

Big Damn Table

70. Storm

Jaylyn smiled, a thoughtful look on her face as she took in the scene. "Wow. You're a hero now."

Xavier made a face, his face reddening. "Shut up. Now can you just get me a towel please?"

She laughed at his reaction and leaned in to take a look. "What a cutie. I'm surprised he survived."

"You think it's a 'he'?"

"Do you want me to check and make sure?"

"Naw, I'll check it for myself."

Xavier had saved a kitten from a sewer drain when he was coming back from school. Typical that it was a major **storm **at the time and his parents didn't lend him a ride home, so he had to walk home. If he didn't walk though, he would have never heard the poor guy in the drain. When Jaylyn got the call from him about the kitten, she had to pick him up and bring him to her house. She might be a little tough, but it didn't mean she didn't like cats.

"I'll be back with a towel. You want me to give him...her...some milk?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. And yeah. It's a boy." Xavier rubbed the kitten behind the ears and his eyes closed, the poor, soaked little guy in complete bliss. Jaylyn smiled at that and quickly put everything together. As she warmed the milk in the microwave, Gwen walked in, eyebrow raised. "Before you ask, Xavier saved this kitten from the sewer drain and I wanted to help out, so I drove him here and he's in my room with the kitten right now as we speak."

Gwen's eyes immediatly lit up. "Well I want to see it! Come on, I'll help you."

Jaylyn laughed at her mom's sudden eagerness, but joined her as Gwen grabbed the heated milk and a soft pillow for the kitten to rest on. Jaylyn grabbed a towel from the kitchen and head to her room. Gwen was already stroking the kitten's matted black fur. Xavier grinned at Jaylyn. "I've always wondered who you got your love of cats from."

"Definantly not from my dad, that's for sure." Kneeling down next to the kitten, she cupped him up, surprised by how light he was. "Wow little guy. You feel like you haven't eaten in days. Weeks even." She could feel his ribcage against her fingers and he shivered at the contact. "Poor guy. Let's dry you up." Turning to Xavier, she asked, "Hey, can you spread the towel out on the floor?"

Taken back by the softness of her voice, Xavier nodded and laid the towel flat on the floor. Jaylyn gently laid the kitten on the towel and cautiously rubbed his fur, careful not to hurt him. He mewled in protest, but Gwen murmured some encouragements to sooth the kitten. After the fur was dry, the kitten wiggled out of the towel and plopped down next to the dish of warm milk, eager to drink. As they watched with calm, relieved smiles on their faces, a question rose up.

"So what are you going to do with him Xavier?" Gwen asked.

"I honestally have no idea. My Mom may want to take him in, but then again...my Dad's pretty reluctant about bringing in pets into the house. If we can't keep him, we might have to drop off at the pet store, and I don't want that." Xavier frowned. "I want to take care of him. I haven't had a pet in years, ever since my dog Clifford died."

"I haven't had a pet in a long time either," Gwen added, a nostaglic look warming her features. "Well..." She paused, the nostaglic feeling fading away and being replaced with a more thoughtful look. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk to Kevin. We can't have this little guy starve in some cage."

(2 Weeks Later)

The doorbell rang and Jaylyn rushed to the door, grinning ear to ear. Swinging the door open, it seemed nearly impossible but her grin grew wider. "You want to see him?"

Xavier nodded. "Definantly. When I heard about that new trick, I wanted to really see if you were telling the truth or not."

"Well prepare for the most _adorable _thing you have ever seen in your life."

"The word 'adorable' did not just come out of your mouth right now."

"Shut up." They head to the porch and found Jaylyn's new kitten, Lucky, pouncing on a furry toy mouse, paws scratching on the wood floor. Xavier laughed at the scene. "He's definantly more lively than the last time I saw him."

"Yeah, well it's because he's in my care," Jaylyn smiled proudly. When Gwen talked to Kevin about Lucky, Kevin wasn't quite sure about bringing a pet into the family, but agreed. Delvin's new girlfriend loved cats, so Delvin quickly accepted the situation. Lucky went to vet and was fixed, given medication and was given the proper care that he needed. When he was brought home as the official pet of the Levins, he was named "Lucky" after Gwen's past alter-ego Lucky Girl. Plus it was a cute, ironic name since he was a black cat.

"OK, so what's the trick?" Xavier asked impatiently. "I want to see!"

"Fine, fine, I'm getting there!" Sitting down, she called Lucky over. He quickly ran to her, purring like a motor boat. She ruffled his fur, scratching his belly. He flipped onto his back, nibbling on Jaylyn's hand and batting at it. "He looks like he's fighting me, but he's just playing around," she assured Xavier, seeing the worried look on his face. "OK. Ready? One...two...three!" Quickly pulling her hand away and shaping her hand like a gun, she shouted, "Put 'em up!" Lucky's paws flew into the air and he froze, like he was surrendering. The both of them both laughed at the poor little guy and pet him to assure him that it was okay.

* * *

A/N: Meh, not my best, but it was fun :D Review if you please :)


	71. Broken

Disclaimer: Don't own anything that MoA does. Damn shame.

A/N: This is a great time isn't it? A new beginning :D Happy New Years, to all of you guys :D Yeah, I'm a bit late for that, but still :)

OK. So for this one and the next one, I know echo-girl wanted Alan in fanfics. He hasn't had a lot of love, has he? So you know what? Let's include him in this one, for smiles sake :) Enjoy you guys!

Big Damn Table

71. Broken

"I can't believe that you would do such a thing!"

"_Me_? What the- so what, you think I did this on purpose?"

"Uh, yeah, I do. You've been eyeing that plasma device for a long time. You know I've been working hard on it. I've been working on it for three weeks!"

"And I had a personal hatred against your little weapon _be_cause...?"

"I don't know! But you know what? It's **broken **and I have to put it together all over again!"

Alan sighed heavily, his head smacking against the desk. He couldn't stand being with these two anymore. Helen and Manny were having yet _another _argument in the past two hours. With Pierce tending to other matters with Ben, and Cooper in the Plumbers Academy, Alan was stuck with these two until Pierce came back.

This argument had been going on for the past four minutes. Helen was going through the weapons that they had collected over the past couple of months, and she accidentally broke a piece off the plasma beam gun that Manny found a month ago. Yes, he put a lot of dedication into it, but over time it became annoying how a tiny gun was the center of his attention. Alan could see why Helen was so irritated about Manny's arguments.

"Can you guys just give it a break already?" Alan groaned, looking up. Manny was desperately trying to re-assemble the gun and Helen had her back turned to him, arms crossed. Helen sighed and with a slight breeze, she speed toward him and sat next to him.

"I'm trying to, believe me," she muttered, misery heavy in her voice. "It seems like whenever I try to help him, I wind up screwing up." Her forehead rested on the desk, eyes squeezing shut. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Alan just couldn't take this anymore. If he was going to be stuck in this pit of tension, he was going to fly out of there and leave them to fend to themselves. "You really don't realize it, but you don't screw everything up. We _all _make mistakes Helen. You're no different than any of us."

"But-"

"But nothing! Helen," Alan lowered his voice to a hushed whisper. "You like Manny, right?" It was obvious, but she still protested. It was the normal reaction to his question, with the wide eyes and the obsurd blush erupting on her face as her head snapped up in surprise.

"I don't!" Her eyes narrowed. "No matter how many times you ask me, I don't. I won't. He's immature, ob-"

"Yeah, and so was Kevin. But you know what? He's together with Gwen."

"Yeah, but does that mean anything to me?" Helen's mouth closed, realizing that arguing was useless. She knew what he was trying to get across and she wasn't going to deny anything that he said anymore. She knew that she had feelings for him, even though she wanted to fight against them. "I...I just don't know Alan. I don't really know what my feelings are toward him. Right now all I know is that I feel really bad for damaging his..." She made a waving gesture with her hand. "Plasma...weapon...thing."

Alan smiled. "Yeah. It's a plasma blaster. He'll fix it in no time."

Manny, instantly picking up the conversation, turned to Alan, three arms rising to flip him off. Three times. "It took me weeks to fix it. I won't be able to 'fix it in no time.'"

"Can't you just get Kevin to fix it?"

"...I didn't even think of that."

* * *

Helen slept on the couch, the blanket pulled tightly over her. Alan scrolled through YouTube, earbuds in his ears so he wouldn't disturb her. Manny walked into the living room, holding a bowl of Ramen noodles that he fixed up in five minutes. Sitting next to Alan, he sighed heavily and starting stuffing his face. "I called Kevin."

"What did he say?" Alan asked, unplugging the earplugs.

"He said that he can come over tommorow morning. Said something about him not start working until noon. He got some sort of promotion or whatever."

"Awesome to hear that he got a promotion." Alan's fingers paused on the keyboard. "Hey...Manny."

"Yeah?"

"Do you...do you like Helen?"

Manny choked on the broth, coughing and hacking. Helen stirred a bit, but remained asleep. "You're kidding right?"

"Nope. Totally honest. Now tell me, honest to goodness, do you like her, more than "like a sister", more than a friend." Alan watched the expressions on his face as Manny tried to decide if to answer honestally or not. It was funny to watch as it turned from panic to uncertainty, then to confidence. Then it switched to crestfallen and confused. "I don't know man."

If he was going to play Cupid, it definantly deserved a bit more participation from the two of them. If they were both confused about their relationships, how was he going to make them work?

The door clicked open, a tall, blond haired teenage boy walking into the living room.

"Hey, Coop, how's it- Wait a minute. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Manny's loud voice disturbed Helen out of her sleep.

The blond guy just laughed, sounding raspy. "It's me. Cooper. I went through some intense training at the Plumbers Academy. I have to tell you, you have to stay in shape and they definantly help you get that-"

_INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT_

"Manny! WHY THE HELL DID YOU HIT THE ALARM?"

"THAT GUY JUST BUSTED INTO OUR HOUSE!"

"THAT GUY IS COOPER!"

"IS NOT!"

Alan sighed. If he was to ever make sure these two get together is was going to take a _long _time.

* * *

A/N: Ahhh poor Cooper :) WELL today is the last day for break :/ But it's cool, 'cause I'll try and update when I can :D Peace ya'll! And review :)


	72. Fixed

Disclaimer: Don't own what MoA owns :) Or anything from Relient K. :D

A/N: OH MY GOD THEY UNBLOCKED IT :D I am _amazed. _They blocked YouTube though. And Live Journal. I just don't understand that :/ But whatever. So I can update more often :D WOOT ^^ So hey guys? You know what time it is? IT'S GWEVIN TIME 8D Haha, I've been doing all these rough drafts as I'm working on school work and studying for my tests. I wish I could take Creative Writing but my parents control my schedule, so it ain't happenin :/

I have to say, after reading this, you MUST MUST MUST look up this song :D It fits the two of them perfectly :) There's an AMV for the two of them on YouTube. I suggest you look it up :) ...DO IT.

Big Damn Table

72. Fixed

Gwen stepped into the auto-shop, sighing with relief as the air conditioning cooled her over-heated skin. She saw Big Ed sat behind the counter, reading a Sports Illustrated magazine with a content smile on his face. She glanced at the cover and smirked, rolling her eyes. Swimsuit issue, of course. She cleared her throat, making him jump in surprise.

He quickly shoved the magazine under a stack of papers and looked up, his pudgy face bright red. His widened eyes returned to normal and he relaxed a bit, smiling. "Oh, hey Gwen. Thought you were the boss."

"Well, I'm not surprised that you'd be..._reading_," she joked, Big Ed's face flushing again. She smiled, looking around in the empty waiting room. "It's a slow day today."

"No one's really looking forward to going out today," he sighed. "It's way too damn hot." He sat back in his leather seat, the seat groaning under his weight. "So you wanted to see Kevin?"

"Yeah, I wanted to get him something to eat," she nodded, holding up a Taco Bell bag and medium sized soda. "I figured that since it's lunch hours, he'd like something that doesn't come from a vending machine."

"He would appreciate that," he smiled. "He's in the back room. It's way too hot in the garage to be working. The air condtioner broke in there and won't be able to get **fixed** until tommorow."

"Thanks. Oh, here." She tossed him a wrapped chicken burrito. "I got you something too."

"Thanks sweetheart," he grinned. "You take care now."

"You too Ed." She head to the back room, which had computers holding information about their savings and different people that have checked in and out before. Before she could walk in, she heard a low hum. Peeking in, she smiled. Kevin sat at a computer, back turned to her. Earbuds were in his ears and the faint sound of music from his iPod could be heard. Before she could step forward, he muttered something to himself and scrolled through something on iPod. Selecting a song, he began humming a tune that matched the song. Gwen fought a giggle and watched as he began to sing along.

_We should get jerseys cause we make a good team_  
_But yours would look better than mine, cause you're outta my league_

Suddenly the gentle, soft tone picked up a faster beat and Gwen grinned as he sang a little louder.

_And I know that it's so cliche to tell you that everyday_  
_I spend with you is the new best day of my life_  
_Everyone watching us just turns away with disgust_  
_It's jealously, that they can see that we've got it going on_

_And I'm racking my brain for a new improved way  
To let you know your more to me than what I know how to say  
You're OK with the way this is going to be  
This is going to be the best thing we've ever seen_

Kevin began tapping his fingers against the desk and singing a bit louder. Gwen stifled her laughter, trying not to be heard. But this was going to be a real toughy, if he was going to keep this up. She had never seen him like _this _before.

_If anyone can make me a better person you could  
All I gotta say is I must've done something good  
I came along one day and you rearranged my life  
All I gotta say is I must've done something right  
I must've done something right_

She couldn't take it any more. She bursted with rich laughter, her sides hurting as it exploded out of her. Kevin fell out of his seat, startled by the sudden sound and looked up, face pale and eyes wide. Then his face turned bright red and he hid his face in his hands, mortified. She couldn't stop laughing and it took her awhile to gather herself. She ended it, gasping for breath.

"Sorry...sorry..."

"Just...give me the Taco Bell bag. Please."

"I have the new Crunchy burrito thing...with the Fritos?"

"I love you. You are forgiven."

* * *

A/N: TACO BELL IS ON THE BRAIN RIGHT NOW. SERIOUSLY. (sigh) OK. So review, watch "Must've Done Something Right" by Relient K and smile :)


	73. Light

Disclaimer: You should know this by now.

A/N: Welll the Saints have no chance with the Super Bowl this year. (sigh) Not like I didn't know that already but the SEAHAWKS. GOD DAMN. (sigh) But seeing the Eagles playing makes me smile a bit :) Vick is still an a hole for what he did before, but he's redeemed himself :D Sometimes you HAVE to give people second chances. (clears throat) Soooo I'm not really in the mood for romance, BUT I'd love to point out something. You'll see it :D Enjoy.

Big Damn Table

73. Light

Kevin kneeled down next to Gwen's book shelf, looking at the various titles of the thick, heavy looking books. He frowned, feeling a little dumb just sitting there. All of these were 12th grade and college level books. He was still on 10th grade level, still confused with what was going on in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. What was the point of reading these books anyway?

"You can put those in here," Gwen said, pointing to the empty cardboard box on her bed. "We can bring that to Goodwill too."

He rose an eyebrow. "I thought you loved these books."

"They get a bit boring," she shrugged. "I love to read, but after ten times-"

"Or a hundred."

Gwen smiled, rolling her eyes. "It tends to get a bit tiring. I'm sure someone out there would want to read Jane Austen. Somewhere." Seeing the doubtful look on her face, she just sighed and said, "Maybe. Just maybe."

Kevin laughed at the weak reassurance and started taking the books off the shelf. Gwen was trying to get rid of all of her old books and clothes that she didn't need, and bring it to Goodwill. She was attending college soon and she wanted to get rid of things as soon as possible so it wouldn't be a hassle on moving day. It was a bittersweet feeling, but she was a junior now, so she still had ways to go.

As he slowly began to clear the shelf, he came across something. With a smirk, he pulled it out and waved it. "Hey. Check it out."

Gwen turned from the closet, holding a handful of small, puffy jackets and she glared at what was at his hand. "Garbage. No one needs to buy that for any child in need. No one deserves that kind of torture."

Kevin laughed, tossing the Darkfall book in the trash next to her desk. "I guess you got tired of that too."

"Beyond tired. Aggravated. Irritated. Any adjective that matches that." She threw the jackets into the box, sighing heavily. "Jennifer Nocturne. I don't care about her. She's a ditz who's obsessed with fame. She doesn't care about anyone unless they can give her a chance to be in the spotlight. It's just..."

"She flirted with me. Yeah, and I'm sure you scared her off that time." He remembered when Jennifer was hitting on him. He had felt a little light headed at that, being hit on by "America's Sweetheart", but Gwen's little "I will peel you like a grape" definantly brought him back. Gwen was amazing like that.

Then when he came across another book, he realized something. "You know what's weird?"

"What?"

"It seems like all of the love rivals are **light** haired and have blue eyes. Have you ever noticed that?"

Gwen stood there for a moment, frozen as she held onto a poofy sleeved blouse. "Huh," she breathed. "I guess so. There's Michael..."

"Darkstar you mean," Kevin sighed. "Stupid faggot."

Gwen smirked, seeing Kevin's distress. Then she remembered the other two people and felt the anger pulse through her. "There's also Jennifer Nocturne. Dumb bitch." Kevin had his turn to smirk at her distress. "Then there was Charmcaster in her other form. She was disguised as a blonde too. With blue eyes. Huh. I guess I never noticed this until now."

"Then there's also Cooper."

Gwen sputtered with laughter at that. "He's your competition? Kevin Ethan Levin's competition is _Cooper_."

"Well, he used to be nothing to me when it came to competition, but ever since he had his little..." He made air quotes, rolling his eyes," 'Growth spurt', he's actual competition. I mean, look at him!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know _exactly _what I mean. Muscles. Taller. Blonde hair and blue eyes." He glared at her as she smiled at him with playfullness in her eyes. "Let's face it. If any blond haired, blue eyed person comes into the picture, we have to stick together. Make it Ben's problem."

"You don't really mean that," Gwen deadpanned, the playfullness fading fast.

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah. I didn't mean that. Let's just...promise each other that no blond is going to get in our way."

"Or brunette, or raven-haired, or red head..."

"You know what I mean."

* * *

A/N: Haha, I didn't really know how to end that, so there you go xD I had the realization after watching Absolute Power for the umpteenth time, realizing that most of the Gwevin competition had blond hair and blue eyes. Sorry to the readers that have blonde hair AND blue eyes :P

Hopefully you guys will review? :D


	74. Dark

Disclaimer: I own these really comfy sweatpants and hoodie. Plus this laptop. Anything MoA is not owned by me, however :/

A/N: Again, I had NO idea what to do with this one. Since I've done some Gwevin, how about some Ben x Julie? :D I know some of you guys are craving for some. There's been a serious lack of them in the past couple of weeks. Don't think I haven't noticed!

Haha Spoon, it's all good :) I won't throw you in jail :D You make me smile whenever you review and I'm glad to get some feedback from you! And Mazina, my eyes do that to! Except for the fact that it doesn't turn blue. People say my eyes are dark green when I'm in a negative mood, and a light hazel when I'm in a positive mood :D It's really strange...hm.

Well onward with the fic! :D

Big Damn Table

74. Dark

The air was thick with tension between the two. Their fingers remained intertwined, with their hands slick with sweat. Julie could have sworn that she could feel his pulse against her wrist. The pace was a beat ahead of hers, but still felt in sync with hers. It eased the rushing, frantic thoughts in her mind.

She rested her head on the cool leather of the seat, watching the flashing lights as the car speed through city streets. She caught stares of awe and glares of envy. Her stomach churned and she tried to calm it down, taking deep breaths.

"Where do you want to go?" His question sounded rushed and breathy. Her eyes didn't meet his, but instead rested on his hand that gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles pale white. The Plumbers logo seemed to glitter underneath the city lights, beckoning and teasing her.

"Anywhere but here." It was such a quick response, and maybe too eager, but Ben seemed to agree. The engine roared as he stepped on the gas, the car making a sharp turn towards the exit.

X_X_X_X_X_X

As soon as the car drove off the bare road and into an opening in the forest, she instantly knew where he was going.

Grandpa Max's fishing rock.

Her grip tightened on his hand and could feel her head lighten. "So this is anywhere?"

"The paparazzi lost us thirty miles ago," he chuckled. "I know that we both wanted to get away from them as soon as possible. They're nothing but desperate losers, nothing but time on their hands. They have to spend every lonely minute of their lives trying to find some little scandal, some little..." He trailed off with a heavy, angry sigh and gripped her hand back, more gentle than the tone in his voice. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say stuff like that."

It did scare her a bit, seeing him like this. He was usually so confident about things, ignoring what others said about him. But over the past ten months, it had been more pressure than he deserved. It had been non-stop "scandal" articles of him leaving millions of dollars worth of damage after battles, then it moved directly to his family and friends. Now it was all about their relationship "being on the brink." Were they going to stay together with his status? Rumors of actresses hanging out with him, rumors of their possible break-up at anytime...just horrible things. Horrible, horrible things.

"You've been going through a lot. It's understandable. Don't worry about it."

Ben's eyes remained on the dirt path in the forest, but she could see the frost in his eyes warm up a bit and the corners of his lips twitch up. She could feel herself warm up a bit too and smile as well. "Thanks for understanding Julie."

"I know that you're having a rough time with everything. Don't sweat it." Feeling a bit more courageous, she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, but with a bump on the dirt path, she shifted and winded up kissing his ear instead. They were quiet for a moment in awkward silence and laughed at the small mishap, then she rested her head on his shoulder, her nose brushing against his russet hair. "Are we almost there?"

"Almost. I see some light."

"Where?"

"See those tall bushes?"

"No. It's kind of **dark**, even with the headlights on."

"Well hold on." He stepped on the gas a bit more, making a turn to the right. It wasn't as harsh as before, but smoother and gentler that way she could lean in a little more. She grinned at that and snuggled in, holding onto his arm.

Everything was returning back to normal now. Somewhat. She still felt it, deep in the back of her mind. She hated the attention and the fake claims of their future break up, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the present, being right next to him and enjoying him like as he was before the fame. He was nice, sweet, goofy and had a sense of humor, even at the toughest times. She was going to enjoy this moment with him, and nothing else mattered. The attention, the fame, the paparazzi...nothing.

* * *

A/N: Meh, didn't go as I suspected buttttttt yeah :D It's an Ben and Julie fic. I decided to do one, so there ya go :D Review to tell me if you like it or not :D


	75. Shade

Disclaimer: I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU DISCLAIMER. GO AWAY.

A/N: Had to do a project for English that revolved around me analyzing a commercial and making up a commercial of my own, and having to analyze THAT. FOR 6 HOURS AS MY PARENTS WENT TO MALL AND ATE AT CHILI'S. THEY ARE EVILLLLLL DX PURE EVIL! (sigh) So, I figured that I'd make a Gwevin fic. 'Cause. I don't know why. I just want to write one. Yeesh.

Big Damn Table

75. Shade

The car silently rumbled to a stop on the grass. They quietly got out, stretching a bit before taking in everything. "You're a true romantic," Gwen teased, grinning. She stretched out her arms over her head, her long auburn hair coiling around her arms as it was carried in the breeze. "I never figured that you would do something like this. What's the occasion?"

Kevin rolled his eyes, mocking sadness. "Now, can't I do something at the bottom of my heart for just some main event? I want it to be spontaneous. Isn't that what you like? I read that in one of those magazines or whatever."

"You're sneaking into my magazines now?"

"I need all the help I can get," he laughed. "By the way. I had no idea that Justin Bieber was your celeb lover. That personality quiz seemed pretty accurate."

"UGH! I can't believe you saw that!"

"Do you mean belieb?"

"CUT IT OUT!"

Kevin grinned, blocking Gwen's weak swing at his shoulder and looked at the tree that was next to the water for a moment before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You wanna sit down over there while I get the stuff ready?"

"Sure," Gwen sighed. She slipped from his grasp and head to the **shade **underneath the tree. Kevin watched her retreating figure then head to the trunk to take out the things. He popped it open and took a quick peek to make sure Gwen was hidden underneath the tree before digging into his pocket. Pulling out the small red velvet box, he sighed.

OK. He lied. It _was _an occasion. It wasn't their anniversary, or her birthday, or a proposal. But it was something worth having a romantic picnic underneath the tree where Max and Verdona carved their names, and asking her to go steady.

Oh yes he went there.

As cheesy as it sounded, he wanted to do this. He wanted to make sure everything was confirmed. Yes, he understood that everything between him and Gwen was pretty damn solid, with everything that they had gone through and everything they did to patch up their relationship's wounds. It had been two months ever since Kevin reverted back from his monstorous form and he wanted to confirm that nothing was going to come between them.

Putting it back in his pocket, he took out his old blanket and the cooler, and head down to the tree. Gwen sat up, taking the blanket. "So, do you have any music?"

"Music...music...crap, I don't. I forgot the iHome at home, sorry."

"It's alright. You have XM, right?"

"Yeah, I do. Want me to-"

"I'll go ahead," Gwen said, unfolding the blanket. She fanned it and laid it out on the grass, smoothing it out. "Can you get the food out?"

"Sure thing." He opened the cooler and Gwen head back to the car to turn on the radio. Kevin smiled. This was kind of nice. Mellow and relaxed. Wasn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world, but still. Wasn't too bad. The air wasn't heavy, too hot or cold. Since it was almost spring, everything was cool and dry. The setting was perfect and everything was going according to plan.

When he had the food and drinks set up, he sat against the bark, relaxing a bit. The box pressed up against his leg, a solid reminder of what he was going to do.

The music turned up loud enough for him to hear and Gwen came back down. "Is everything alright?"

"Yup."

"Great," she grinned. "So let's eat!"

They got right to it. Kevin's mom had made them some chicken alfredo with spagetti, along with garlic texas toast and some fresh fruit. They started chucking grapes at each other, then it turned into a full out war when Kevin accidently tossed a grape down her shirt. After ten minutes they ran out of fruit and soda to throw and fell down on the blanket, a giggling, sticky mess. Kevin sighed, turning to face her. He pulled out a watermelon seed out of her hair. "You know...I really enjoy this."

"Enjoy what?"

"Everything. Espicially with you."

Her cheeks turned into a light tint of pink, a soft smile on her face. "Awww. That's something sweet of you to say."

"It's true." His gaze averted up and locked onto something on the tree. "I wonder what your grandma and grandpa felt like, sitting here."

Gwen followed his gaze to the carved heart in the bark of the tree. Max and Verdona's names were inside of it, forever imprinted on the tree. "So do I." She was quiet for a bit, then began murmuring something.

"What's that?"

"It's just...I feel so connected. I guess it's just because my grandmother went here all the time, but...there's something indescribable about it."

_This is it man. Now or never. Give it a shot. You got this._ "Hey, Gwen..." _Wow. That was eloquent. Really great start._

"Mmm?"

His hand reached into his pocket, ready to pull it out, then Gwen let a little squeak. "What?"

"I felt something...rain?" She stood up and lifted her hand up. "Yup. Rain."

_What the-_ He got up as well, looking at the sky and swearing. The sky was a dull gray and the breeze was picking up a little. Kevin knew it was cloudy outside, but he didn't even pay attention to it before. Now he was regretting it.

"Let's pick up everything," Gwen sighed. She began putting empty containers into the cooler as well as empty soda cans. "We might as well."

"You're right." Feeling bitter, he picked up pieces of food scattered on the ground and gave himself a mental scolding. What was wrong with him? He should have paid attention to the news or the weather channel. Now that he remembered, it said something about a chance of rain before. Folding the blanket and walking up the hill to the car, he felt something wrong. He patted his pocket and swore.

The box was gone!

Turning back, the rain trickling down a little bit more, he ran for it. But it was too late.

Gwen held the small box, her eyes wide and her lips parted. When she heard him, she looked up, mouth opening and closing like a fish in water. "Wha..."

"Um...I wanted to ask you something before the rain starting coming down. I..." His face was burning up right now. "I wanted to go steady with you. Make sure we were okay."

She stared at him for a few moments, the rain coming down harder now, soaking their clothes and hair. Then she started laughing. Laughing and laughing until she bent down and hid her face through her soaking wet hair. Kevin stood there, dumbfounded until Gwen ran over and held onto him tightly.

"I love you..."

* * *

A/N: meh. not my best :/ Review!


	76. Who?

Disclaimer: I DON'T LIKE REPEATING MYSELF.

A/N: Sooo there's a new episode coming up on the 4th. It's confirmed! I checked the menu on my Comcast TV, and apparently it's an episode called The Transmogrification of Eunice. I looked up the definition of transmogrification and it's to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect. So this sounds like it's gonna be a HELL of an episode :D AND ELENA WILL APPEAR! (pause) Supposedly. It's a rumor that she may return in that episode. But right now, all I know is, is that we'll be seeing a new ep on the 4th :)

Big Damn Table

76. Who

Throwing his book bag on the floor, Cooper walked into the basement, making his way to his computer. "Finally home. I hate taking the city bus," he muttered weakly, his body strained and worn. Ever since he graduated from the Plumbers Academy, his body had grown with muscle and height, his voice deepening as he matured. Now that he was back to human school, he was stuck sitting down for hours in a crowded environment. His body wasn't used to it. He needed to get up, stay active. Football practice wasn't enough.

His eyes moved to the weights in the middle of the floor, as well as the mat and exercise equipment. He shook his head, sighing. "No way man. Not in the mood for that." Settling down in his desk chair, he laid back, the cheap plastic squeaking under him and prickling against his skin. He wiggled the computer mouse, the screen lighting up. His AIM had a notice blinking on the screen. Curious, he clicked on it. Some guy named ds_18 wanted to chat.

cd_1984: **who **is this?

The response was quick.

ds_18: maybe you don't remember me. let me jog your memory. you released me from imprisonment to fight the highbreed. of course it was a stupid mistake- well, for you- but you were making a strong decision. you wanted me to help you guys. i escaped.

Darkstar. Yeah, he remembered. The creepy bastard that made a run for it after they all won the war. The creepy bastard that tried to absorb Gwen's powers.

At the last thought, his stomach twisted and his throat dried.

cd_1984: what do YOU want from me? how did you even get my account anyway?

ds_18: you put everything on your twitter account. it was easy to figure out.

cd_1984: so what do you want now?

ds_18: gwen wanted my help with a little problem. i knew that's what you would like. gwen, damsel in distress, beautiful, needing help from a prince. of course, she went to me. gave me a second chance at redemption, giving me power.

Cooper had never seen Gwen in distress. Never. She was always strong and confident. Cooper couldn't do anything but cave in.

cd_1984: what happened?

ds_18: it's kevin.

His heart dropped in his stomach. Of course.

cd_1984: what the hell happened?

ds_18: kevin apparently absorbed ben's ultimatrix to fight against this bad guy named Aggregor. It only turned him into a complete monster. ever since that he's been absorbing more power, people's powers. gwen is next and she knows it. ben wants to put him down and gwen doesn't, of course. gwen's been trying to convince him to not kill him, but it's not working. SO, she's come to me. i have what i need to revert him back to normal, and i need your abilities to build the pieces together.

_Dammit Kevin. Why do you have to do this to me? I've been trying so hard to keep this under control, and yet this happens. _

Gwen's face still imprinted into his mind and the blush still rose to his cheeks. He had given her up before. She wouldn't fall in love with him. Her mind was stuck on Kevin, all Kevin and no one but Kevin. No one else was going to come into the image and change her mind, especially him. But it still hurt every time he thought of her or saw her. Knowing that he was never going to better than Kevin, always be there for her-

Kevin was in trouble and his angsty, teen romantic heart was preventing him from seeing the main problem. Kevin was in trouble and so was Gwen. It wasn't Kevin's fault that he was this way, and Ben needed to see that.

ds_18: don't tell me that you're really freaking out about this. i thought that you would quickly be willing to say yes. but I see that I was wrong.

cd_1984: no. I'll do it. kevin needs my help. I'll do whatever it takes to help him.

ds_18: and for gwen, I would suppose. you're not doing this just for KEVIN are you?

cd_1984: i'm doing this for kevin, not for gwen. he needs as much help as possible. where do you want to meet me?

ds_18: I'll pick you up.

cd_1984: where are you taking me?

ds_18: los soledes. look, are you going to keep asking questions, or are you going to help me?

cd_1984: of course.

ds_18: alright then. I'll see you in a few minutes then.

cd_1984: before you go, why are you doing this? i know that it's not just for "redeeming" yourself or something like that.

Suspicion boiled in his veins as he waited for the response. It was brief, but it was understandable.

ds_18: mana. she promised me mana.

cd_1984: figures. you're a selfish bastard, no matter what you do.

ds_18: maybe not. maybe so. you shouldn't accuse people if they're doing something helpful. it's not a very smart move cooper.

_(ds_18 has signed off)_

Groaning slightly, he laid back, face in his hands. He hated this. He didn't want to do this. But he still had to, he needed to. Kevin needed his help more than ever.

_Gwen needed his help..._

_

* * *

_

A/N: THE FOURTH, THE FOURTH! Remember guys! :D Mark your calanders! And please, please review! If you don't review, I don't know if you like it or not!


	77. What?

Disclaimer: GET OVER YOURSELF DISCLAIMER. GOD.

A/N: I'm working on a little side project called "Imperfection." I finished the prolouge, and I'm working on the first chapter as you read. So I'm multi-tasking at the moment :) I figured this would be a fun, quick little chapter :D

Big Damn Table

77. What

"Hey Kevin."

"Yeah Benji?"

Whatever question Ben had for Kevin immediatly vanished on Ben's lips, frozen. He glared at Kevin, who was smirking at him. "**What **did you just call me?"

The smirk softened up, an innocent look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You...called me Benji."

"Did I?"

"Yeah. You did. Do I need to repeat myself?"

Kevin grinned. "So what if I did?"

"Why do you have to call me Benji? It's just...so...cutesy."

"I do it to annoy you Benji. I do it to annoy you."

"OK. Fine. I see how it is." Silence. "Kev."

Kevin laughed, shaking his head. "That's all you got?"

"No Kevy, not really."

"Did you just add a 'y' to that? Lame."

"Kevy-poo."

Kevin glared at him. "Don't go there man."

"Kevy-kins."

"Ben...I'm warning you."

"Kevy cupcake!" Ben was really enjoying this now.

"..."

"Keu-Keu!"

"I'M GOING TO FREAKING KILL YOU BENJAMIN KIRBY TENNYSON!"

"Kevin, Ben, what's going on in here?"

"STAY OUT OF THIS GWEN!"

* * *

A/N: Had too much fun with this :D Review? :D


	78. Where?

Disclaimer: The thing that drains your creative soul.

A/N: I lost the list for Big Damn Table, so I'm guessing that the next one is Where. I'm trying to work on four things at once, so hopefully I can find the list after writing this. Urgh. I got this, Human Hours, Imperfection and that little Bevin thing for Brooke...whatsit called? Don't remember. Oh yeah. He Said, He Said: Christmas, I remember now :D

The fourth is near... :D And prepare for the cutesy-ness and playfulness-ish-ness. Cause it's comin.

Big Damn Table

78. Where

"**Where **does it hurt?"

Julie pointed silently to her stomach where there were rips in her jacket and laid her hand on her heated forehead, her head beating rapidly with pain. Ben took out the medical kit from underneath his bed and slipped it open, taking out a bottle of clear liquid and a roll of bandages. As soon as she saw him taking out the cotton balls and unscrew the cap from the bottle, Julie prepared for the worst.

"Don't worry." Ben's voice was soft and assuring, relaxing the tense muscles in her back and shoulders. "It won't hurt. Actually, this is some Plumbers medicine that I got a few months back. Whenever I get hurt, I do the patching up by myself. The stuff doesn't hurt. Here, let me show you." He rolled up the jacket and she flinched at the touch. And not because of her wound. He smiled sheepishly, a light pink in his cheeks. "Sorry. I'll make this quick."

"Oh...o-okay." She closed her eyes and let him roll up the jacket and tank top, closing her eyes when she felt the contact of fingertips on her skin. She knew she was blushing, but the heated skin covered it up. Finally he stopped at the hem of her bra, much to her relief, examining the fresh wound carefully.

"That Forever Knight got you real good, didn't he?" he muttered, a bit of anger leaking into his voice. "I feel really bad Julie. Like you have _no _idea. I wanted to be right next to you, but-"

"You couldn't. It's fine. I was just trying to protect Ship and I wasn't being careful." She opened her eyes and she felt her heart sink in her stomach. There was strong guilt in his eyes, tugging at her heartstrings. She wanted to prove that it wasn't his fault, that it was okay...but he had felt obligated to be by her side, boyfriend _and _hero. Nothing was going to change his mind. "Go ahead. I'm ready."

"OK." Then he dabbed a little of the liquid onto a cotton ball and lightly rubbed the wound. Julie winced at the pressure, but felt a bit surprised. He was right. The medicine didn't sting at all. It cooled her skin, numbing the pain completely. She relaxed and smiled. "I guess it works, huh?" Ben laughed, pleased with her reaction.

"Yeah...what is it?"

"Dunno," he shrugged. Assured that everything was good, he soaked another cotton ball and quickly cleaned it up. "It's worked for me. I was a bit timid at first 'cause I'm used to my mom doing it for me...but it's easy to do by myself." He capped the bottle and picked up the roll and peeled off a long piece. "Can you sit up?"

To her surprise, she could. She sat up, elbows suppoting. She couldn't feel anything on her stomach except for a cool feeling deep in her skin. "Yep."

"Cool." He wrapped the bandage around her stomach until it covered the long scar completely. Then he ripped the end off with his teeth and taped it. "There we go. All better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"No problem." He tucked the supplies back in the kit and put the kit back underneath the bed. "Do you need another shirt to cover it up?"

She looked down and nodded with a pout. "This was my favorite jacket," she sighed, fingering the torn light pink fabric. "It's a shame."

Ben chuckled, getting up and headed to the closet to pick out a shirt. He tossed a gray shirt over to her. "Here you go. I don't really wear it anyway."

Julie smiled. "Thanks." She peeled the torn tank top and jacket, carefully skipping the shirt over her head.

"You wear pink all the time, don't you?"

"Huh?"

He pointed to her chest. "Your bra. It was pink. I was just wondering if you wear pink all the time. Do you have pink underwear too?"

Heat radiated her cheeks even more and she gasped. "Ben!"

"Just curious!"

"You're going to need that kit again." She smirked, getting off the bed and slowly walking over to him, menancing.

"WHAT DID I DO?"

"Oh, it's alright. It'll heal you real quick, right? It did for me."


	79. When?

Disclaimer: If I ever owned Ben 10 OR Cartoon Network, we wouldn't be waiting until the 4th, now WOULD we?

A/N: Saw the preview for the episode on the 4th. And apparently Sunder's back...? So much for the Gwen and Elena rumors... But we get to see Kevin's attempt at fishing, maybe ("This is gonna be funnnnn" :D). AND Gwen's third season outfit is back :D I was starting to miss it...it looks so much better on her than the red shirt copy of the first season outfit :/ AND I noticed Kevin was carrying two fishing rods and it was only Gwen and Kevin. A date maybe...? xD

And guys, if you could, check out the new fanfic "Imperfection"! The prologue and first chapter is already up, and so far I've gotten two comments. I'd love to hear some more feedback and see if you guys like it :) Anywho, onward with the fic!

Big Damn Table

79. When

Ben and Kevin laid on the couch, bowls of popcorn and chips in their laps and soda in their hands. Every once in awhile they would leap up in celebration or anger, leading to a mess that they had to quickly clean up before staining the expensive carpet underneath them. Then they would resupply themselves and continue watching the game on Gwen's family room HD TV.

Gwen was having girl time with Julie and a few other friends. The guys wanted to watch their football game and Gwen let them watch it on her HD TV since they both didn't have one at home (that, and they bugged the hell out of her to watch it on there). Since her parents had to pull yet another all nighter at work, Gwen was deemed responsible for Ben and Kevin's actions. So, she had to make them promise to keep the house clean.

If not? Well, let's just say Gwen's father has a decent gun collection in the basement.

There was yet another two minute commercial break after a five second play, Ben stayed on the couch as Kevin grabbed another soda from the case they brought with them so they didn't have to ask for permission for drinks. Ben watched a commercial for some sappy love story movie that was coming out in a few months with Jennifer Nocturne and Richard Peterson. The reminder of Jennifer Nocturne sent a heavy, unsettling feeling in his stomach. Romance and Jennifer Noctune sent him bad memories that was clearly unwanted.

Then another thought hit him.

Kevin sat on the couch with heavy sigh and cracked the Sprite can open. "They need to work on their defense if they really want to win. If the quarterback gets sacked again, they're screwed. I mean, I don't really like them, but I don't like the-"

Before Kevin could continue his football conversation, Ben cut in with his burning question. "Hey, Kevin. **When **was your first kiss?"

Kevin's lips froze on the can before he could take a sip. Then he smirked, laying against the cushion. "Lemme guess. You haven't had your first kiss with Julie yet, and you want to do something special to make up for the whole..." He waved a hand. "Jennifer Nocturne ordeal."

The question sounded more like a confirming statement. Ben blushed, frowning. "Maybe."

"Dude, what are you going to do?" Kevin laughed. "Get on one knee?" He noticed that Ben was serious about this and frowned. "Look. Maybe I say that because my very first kiss wasn't the best."

"Who was it with?"

"Wasn't Gwen."

"Does she-"

"No, she doesn't know about it. Besides, it wasn't anything serious, unlike with Gwen. Isabelle was more into me than I was into her."

"Isabelle huh?" The tables turned and Ben was enjoying this more than the game. "What was she like?"

Kevin rolled his eyes. "She was there a year after I escaped the Null Void. She wanted to 'comfort'," he air quoted, with another roll of his eyes. "Me. So to speak."

Ben raised an eyebrow, interest peaked. "'Comfort' huh?"

"Dude."

"Sorry. What did she look like?"

Kevin pursed his lips, trying to remember. "Blue eyes. Dyed red hair. It didn't look natural at all. She was a stick too. Really super skinny, almost aneroxic. She wanted to get involved with the black market, but she didn't have a lot of strength to do it. So she convinced me to go into it for her, bring back the things I got."

"Whatttt was the kiss like?"

Kevin glared at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Hey, you were making jokes about my life. So I'm savoring the moment and enjoying your pain now."

Kevin sighed. "Fine. It's only fair." Kevin settled into his seat and launched into story mode. "Alright. We were in the back seat of my buddy's car at some drive in movie. He ditched us to 'grab some popcorn' and promised he would be back. I forgot the name, but if I find him, I'd punch the bastard. Anyway, so she leans in, resting her head on my shoulder. She tried to say something romantic, but it was really stupid and sappy. She didn't even say 'I love you,' just stuff like, 'I would do anything for you, even jump in front of a bullet for you-'"

"Sounds like 'Grenade.'"

"Shut up. Anyway, so I just agree with her, even though I didn't really feel it and she just leaned in and-" He stopped. "Well, I guess you know what happens next."

"Was it really that bad?"

"No sparks or fireworks, no happiness. I didn't feel a bit of emotion. None of that. That, and her lips were really dry and she smelled like week old nachos."

"Wow. That's-"

"Sad. Yeah." Kevin smiled. "Gwen was so. So. So. So much better. I just invited her to the Pier and went on the carousel. We were goofing off with the horses and then all of a sudden we just kinda looked at each other and..."

Ben grimanced. "Ew...that's romantic and so not you."

Kevin laughed and shrugged. "Hey, you know what? It was still awesome. I guess until you really feel something with someone, it just...it feels right."

"Urgh! I want to talk football again!"

"Cool. I can just bad mouth the Ravens."

"Dude! Not cool man, not cool!"

* * *

A/N: Haha, had WAY too much fun with this one :D I got the idea from McDuffie answering a question about Kevin's past relationships. He said that he had been in past relationships, but they were nothing serious. So it's good to hear :D REVIEW PLEASE! And check out Imperfection!


	80. Why?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 'cause MoA does. If I did, it would have Delvin returning and being Kevin and Gwen's kid and we'd all live happily ever after. Except for the Bevin, Bwen, Kev-Coop etc fans. Heh heh :D

A/N: OHMIGOODNESS YA'LL. Ben 10 cast had their wrap party a few days ago. Which scares the hell outta me because that means Ben 10 is only going to last for so long O.O Dammit...first it was Teen Titans, then it was Danny Phantom, then it was Total Drama...now it's Ben 10! SERIOUSLY! WHY CAN'T THESE PEOPLE LAST AS LONG AS SPONGEBOB CAN? Urgh. Ok. I got that over with. So I got this idea from one of the questions Dwayne answered. It's a bit depressing actually.

ANNNND I saw the sneak peek for Eye of the Beholder and OMG BEN AND JULIE BREAK UP. WHAT IS THIS. And Ben is regretting it shortly after :O So here is a Ben and Elena fic to pass the time ;)

Big Damn Table

80. Why?

Elena bumped the soccer ball slightly forward and followed it as it rolled onto the artificial grass. She sighed heavily, putting the hair pin in the pocket of her hoodie. She had snuck into the school soccer field at night since she had forgotten about practice. She didn't care about attendence, she only cared about the effort that she put forth.

Gathering her short hair into a ponytail, she looked around and took in everything around her. The cool early spring air, winter lingering, nipped at her ears and nose, making her shiver. The air was clean and fresh, along with the smell of artifical grass. She felt a little calm, being alone. Then again...she _was _alone.

She got a call from Ben, saying that he was kicked off the team, curtosey of all his absenses. Elena felt her throat dry up at the reminder. The one person that brought her where she was, was gone. Because of him, she had the confidence to be the only girl on the soccer team. Now that he was gone, there was no one to back her up except for her father.

Sighing, she began her reps. Push-ups, lunges, curl ups, stretches...then she put down the orange cones in a line, then darted around, spinning, kicking, controlling the ball's movement with each step. After sometime she stopped, kneeling down to catch her breath.

"Someone's been busy."

She snapped up, shocked at the sound of a stranger, then relaxed. "Oh...hey Ben. **Why **are you here?"

Ben was smiling, sitting on the stands. "I was flying around as Jetray when I saw someone down here. The field is locked at night, so I could ask you the same thing."

She shrugged. "I wanted to practice a little more, since I missed it after school. I completely forgot about it."

"How'd you get in?"

She took out the hair pin and he laughed.

"You must get it from Kevin."

"Hey, I learned that all by myself," she smiled, rolling her eyes. "I don't need Kevin's help for that."

"Still." He laid back, resting his back on the seat behind him. "So how are you with soccer anyway? Since I'm not around anymore."

"It sucks, to be honest." She sat down next to him, getting comfortable. The metal felt cold her hand. She jammed her hands into her pockets and sat against the seat behind her as well. "Ever since you got kicked off, it's been quiet. None of the guys really talk to me and the new goalie is really weird. Picks at his-" She cut off and he laughed at that, shaking his head.

"Sounds like I left you behind, didn't I?"

"It's alright. Besides, you have a lot of things to worry about besides soccer. It's alright. And anyway, you need to go to bed. I've seen you all over the world and universe, one mission at a time. That's gotta have to wear you out."

"It's fine. It's _you _I'm worried about."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." He slapped the Ultimatrix and Elena shielded her eyes as he turned into another form. Jetray flew over her head and then stopped in front of her. "C'mon. I'll give you a ride home. It's getting late."

"I just got here." But she climbed on anyway, trying to get a good grip on the scaly skin. "You know the address right?"

"'Course I do. I've known you for a long time."

"Yeah. Like what, two years?"

"Something like that."

* * *

A/N: Had to stop there :D Review and tell me what you think!


	81. How?

Disclaimer: Dammit MoA.

A/N: The f was up with that episode O.O Eunice? Found stark naked in a tank like Superman. Animals surrounding her like she's freaking Snow White. Freaking pretty. I'm surprised she didn't start singing like some angel or some shit like that D8 But the end was adorable. No matter how much it pisses me off that Ben has never showed that much emotion. Like ever. And it's to a girl that he just met T.T Grrr...

SO I was thinking about this idea. Over. And over. And over again. And I like this better :D Sorry if it kinda sounds like something Skylark would do in "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda" but I REALLY wanted to do this :) Enjoy! :D

Big Damn Table

81. How

**How **was it whenever the gang tried to have a nice, relaxing weekend, trouble always seemed to find its way toward them? A trip to Mr. Smoothy's, a study break, or a trip to a camping trip, it's all the same. Most recently, a camping trip.

Ben was dealing with a lot over the past couple of weeks. The heroic acts were wearing him down, Julie said that they might as well be broken up and paparazzi was everywhere that he was. Gwen decided to go on a camping trip over the three day weekend, and begged Kevin to come. Of course, Kevin was reluctant, but after realizing that how fun it would be to mess with Ben for three whole days, he agreed to it. They packed their things on Friday and drove for two hours to an isolated, mountainous forest. Once they got close, Ben and Kevin decided to make things a bit exciting with a race.

"OK," Kevin grinned. "Last person there makes food."

"Alright. I want pancakes!" Ben's car lurched forward and Kevin stepped on the gas a bit more. Gwen rolled her eyes at the guys' antics, but as long as Kevin was enjoying himself, it didn't matter. Gwen rested her head on the window and closed her eyes, but as soon as the car hit a bump on the path, her head smacked against the window.

"GODDAMMITTOHELL!"

Kevin looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she hissed between gritted teeth. She rubbed the spot where it hit her head. "Just fine."

Kevin frowned and was about to comment before Ben's voice blasted on the hands free device. "Yo Levin! I'm kicking your can!"

"Oh really?" Whatever affection Kevin was going to show no longer existed and he raced forward. Gwen sighed, shaking her head. Things just weren't going to change.

A loud siren came up behind them, making them jump. Cops? No way. They were dead center in the forest. Gwen looked at the rear view mirror to see a space shuttle come right at them. "What the-"

"Incoming!" Kevin shouted. The shuttle closed in and Kevin skidded to the left, the shuttle crashing into the earth. It came to a stop in a few yards and they stopped their cars, getting out of the car. The shuttle opened, showing a tank laying on its side. "Looks like an escape pod."

"What is it supposed to be for?" Gwen stepped forward, but Kevin stopped her.

"It could be dangerous."

"What's with the sudden chivalry?" Gwen rose an eyebrow.

"A bump on the head is alright compared to something in a tank in an escape pod. We have _no _idea what's in there."

"You make sense." She stepped back and let Kevin examine it for himself. "Just be careful then."

"I will, I will." He touched the glass, a shock of pain going from the tip of his finger to his wrist. He pulled his hand back, swearing. A long cut was on his hand, not bleeding and thin, but the area surronding it was a bright scarlet. "The hell was that?"

"I think we need to avoid it, not to be obvious or anything," Ben said, backing up a little. "And the tank's glowing and smoking. Great."

"Shit's about to go down," Kevin added, stepping back. "Think we should run?"

"Maybe."

The tank split open, smoke bellowing out of it. A silhouette of a figure appeared with a muscular yet slender build. Finally the smoke cleared and they let out out a large gasp. "Woah...'kay then..." Gwen choked out, her face reddening.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Ben muttered, eyes averting down.

"Um...a naked guy on a ship?"

"OK. So I'm not imagining things. Good."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After thirty minutes of keeping everyone's heads in place and getting some clothes on the guy (it had to be Kevin's, because Kevin's clothes fit the guy's body the most) , they drove into the forest and settled into the spot the gang originally planned for. The guy sat down on a log as Kevin pulled the bags out of the cars. Ben and Gwen stood with the mysterious young man, questioning him. Gwen stood back a little, uncomfortable by the situation, but kept her composure.

"So let me get this straight," Ben sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're an Unitrix."

He nodded. "Yes. Azmuth created me." His voice was deep and rich, almost hypnotic. Gwen blushed at the thought and brushed it aside. Then she remembered the meeting they had and couldn't take it anymore.

"Kevin, do you need any help?" she asked, turning away. She was sure that her face was bright red.

"Nah, I'm finished." He walked on over and crossed his arms. "OK. So what do we have here?"

"Apparently he's a Unitrix."

"Uni what?"

"Unitrix. Uni-, meaning "one", -trix, meaning "being"," Gwen murmured. "So Azmuth created you for what purpose?"

"I'm...not quite sure. All I know is, when he," nodded at Kevin's direction, "Touched the machine I was in, it cut his skin, taking his DNA and creating me. It randomized the DNA, so I'm not exactly a copy." He bowed his head down, sighing and raking his fingers through his dark brown hair. His eyes lifted up and hooked onto Gwen's. She shrunk underneath his gaze and he sent a soft, sheepish smile her way. "I...didn't catch your names."

"Ben. Ben Tennyson."

"Kevin." Kevin turned to Gwen, who's eyes were still on the guy. Kevin seethed a bit. "Gwen? Gonna introduce yourself?"

"Gwen, huh?" The guy sat up straight, smiling. "Well, it's really nice to meet you all. But uh..."

"Uh...what?" Kevin snapped. "You plannin' on hanging out with us? We have camping to do you know. That was the plan anyway."

"Woah, don't be so harsh Kevin," Ben laughed. "Weren't you complaining about having to go camping a few days ago?"

Before Kevin could retort, the guy shrunk. "Sorry to intrude. I really didn't mean to."

"It's not your fault," Ben shrugged. He turned to Kevin. "Actually, if you never touched the machine, none of this would have ever happened."

"Gwen was about to. I stopped her."

"You touched it anyway. What was it about 'being careful'?"

"Guys, enough!" Gwen cut in. She sighed heavily. "We can't be pointing fingers at one another. Besides, really the only one we should be pointing fingers at is Azmuth. He just left the Unitrix here."

"Do you think he lost me?" he asked, eyes widening. "What are we going to do now? If he lost me, I have to be returned!"

"Obviously we know that," Kevin snapped. "But we can't do anything. Not now."

Ben sighed. "Kevin. Please be nice."

"Why should I? One peaceful weekend. That's all I want. Sorry dude, but I just don't want anything right now. If you're important to Azmuth, he'll pick you up. If not, then..." He shrugged. "Whatever."

"Kevin-"

"Ben, he's right." Gwen leaned down to the Unitrix. "I know that you're confused, a bit upset. I understand that. If Azmuth really needs you back, he should be on his way. If he doesn't, we'll try and think of something." She smiled. "How does that sound?"

"Better than Kevin's comment," he chuckled. "I like the way that you explain things better, to be honest. You seem more tender. Relaxing even."

Gwen blushed. He was a machine. He was programmed to be something else, have human emotions if he sampled human DNA. It was still strange, seeing the same facial features as Kevin's, hearing those words come from his mouth. "Um...thank you. So, do you want a name?"

"I...don't have a name. I'm not sure."

"How about Bob?" Kevin smirked.

"B...Bob?"

Gwen sighed. "Just ignore him."

He pursed his lips, then nodded. "Eunice."

The three were quiet. "What?"

"Eunice. It...sounds like Unitrix. It sounds more human...right?"

"I guess so."

* * *

A/N: This is part one :) Part two will come up later. Around "Life", I'm sure :D Review and tell me what you think so far!


	82. If

Disclaimer: Whatever MoA owns, I don't. That includes lots and lots of money.

A/N: I've been wanting to do this ever since the idea came up :D The idea is a bit depressing and all, but it was something that I REALLY wanted to do :3 I've been listening to my childhood song "Drops of Jupiter" and "Hero" from Skillet for awhile, and I realized that it kinda sets a mood to this :P

And P.S- Sorry for the scare! Yuri Lowenthal, Dee Bradley Baker, Ashley Johnson and Greg Cipes were talking about a wrap party, and I thought that it was the REAL end. Sky told me that there's still more though ^^; Sorry for the scare AND DON'T KILL ME PLEASE. I DON'T WANNA DIE YOUNG.

Big Damn Table

82. If

_What **if **he never died? _

I guess when life seems great and you enjoy every minute you spend, when that one unsettling idea or thought came to mind, that perfect life you were recently living all crashes down. When the idea brings up memories you hate, you relive them in your mind over and over again like a broken record. You can't forget it, regretting the past and you drown in self-pity, followed by self-loathing for being so weak. But then you realize that you can't change things and everyone else has problems like you do. Maybe not as extreme as mine, but enough to know that you aren't alone.

If Paradox ever taught me something, it's that you can't change the past. At some of my weakest moments, I curse at myself and wonder why I can't just go back to that one moment and change everything. Then I see her face, hear her voice, feel her skin, smell her presence, taste her lips, and see that I would never change it.

It's a selfish thing of me really. My father had made a sacrifice for the universe and I keep thinking about the ifs. What if he never stole the key from Ragnarok? What if he just let Max Tennyson die and save the universe that way? If my father never died, I would have never turned into that freak and tried to kill Ben Tennyson. If, if, if. All filled with ifs.

If my father never died, never sacrificed himself for this universe, I never would have been here. If he had let Max die, Gwen and Ben would no longer have a grandfather, and the greatest known Plumber in history would perish. If I had never tried to kill Ben Tennyson, I would have never come back and see Gwen. I would never have redeemed myself, never become friends with Ben, never would have made peace with the life I'm in...

Now am I saying that I like the fact that my own father is dead? No. I miss him. The stories I hear about him makes me want to see him, be a little kid again. I want to see him, flesh and blood, hear his voice.

But he's proved to me that he was a great father. He's inspired me to become the best father and husband that I could, even when I'm not there. Everytime a mission calls for me, I hug onto my children tightly, my kisses seconds longer, my time spent with my wife increasing.

So what would happen if my father never sacrificed himself?

I would never be able to be in this incredible life I live in now.

* * *

A/N: A bit OOC? Kevin needs to be more emotional :D Review please!


	83. And

Disclaimer: DONTOWNITGODDAMMIT DX

A/N: lulz :D I realized Haley Ramm (the chick that plays as Gwen in Ben 10: Race Against Time) and Nathan Keyes (oh, you GOT to know him ;D) are playing in a movie together called Worst. Prom. Ever :D I'm excited to see it :3 It's like a small Gwen acting with grown up Kevin :) Sounds like bad fanfiction...Anyway, this was a fun one ;) Enjoy!

Big Damn Table

83. And

Gwen knocked on the door once or twice before Aunt Sandra opened the door. Sandra was wearing her yoga pants, a sheer shine on her forehead. "Oh, hello Gwen," Sandra smiled. She waved Gwen in, and Gwen put her flip flops on the door step. She was instantly cooled, the summer air being closed off behind her. "I was just making some pineapple cherry lemonade. Yoga wears you out more than you would think. Would you like to try some lemonade?"

"Oh, no thank you Sandra. I was just here to see the guys. I heard they were here. They've been asking me for judo lessons, so I decided if they were free, I can teach them today." Gwen smiled. "Outside, not inside."

Sandra laughed. "Oh, that's really thoughtful of you honey." She pointed to the hallway. "The boys are in Ben's room, hanging out."

"Thank you." Gwen made her way to Ben's room, already knowing her way. Of course she knew the way, being that they had grown closer over the years. His room was across the washer and dryer, which he complained about all the time because of the noise.

Before she could turn the door handle, she heard a small groan that made her stop in her tracks.

"I thought the first time was supposed to be..._different_," she heard Kevin sigh.

"Whaddya mean by that?" Ben asked, his voice filled with sleep.

"I don't know. Everyone keeps making a big deal about that special 'connection' **and**..."

"And?"

"And..." Kevin trailed off, sighing. "I don't know! All I know is that my butt hurts, thanks to you!"

Gwen's cheeks turned red when Ben chuckled nervously. "Yeah. Sorry about that...maybe I was a bit rough there."

"You think?"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Maybe we should have done it on the bed..."

"And what? Roll off the bed and hurt ourselves?"

"We'll be careful!"

A heavy sigh. "Fine." Then, a bit more excited, "Does that mean you want another go at it?"

"Of course I do."

"YEYY!"

Gwen didn't know what came over her. But she sure as hell wanted out of there. She ran away from the door, said some quick excuse to her aunt and ran to her car.

xXxXxXxX

"Of course I do."

Ben let out a girly squeal and got up the floor, retying the interactive Wii wristband onto his wrist. "C'mon. Help me move the bad."

Kevin got the Sumo Slammers wrestling pad off the floor, and plopped it down onto the bed. "I swear to God though Tennyson. If you 'accidently' headbutt me in the back one more time, that Ultimatrix-ed wrist of yours is going up your ass."

"Yes sir."

* * *

A/N: The end was so on purpose :D Review! :)


	84. He

Disclaimer: If I had ever owned any material from MoA, Dr. Viktor would be the original bad ass that he used to be and Rex and Circe would be TOGETHER ALREADY. I MEAN, REALLY. C'MON MoA. STOP SCREWING WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS.

A/N: Ahhh this was a tough one to decide. I knew that it would be a romantic bit, but WHO was I going to write it about? A lot of options, but I found the perfect one :D Because I just love 'em so much ;)

Big Damn Table

84. He

First dates have always been a problem for me. First, I go natural, but the guy says I'm not even trying. Second guy I actually put on make-up and the guy says I'm trying too hard. Play it cool, too casual. Too sweet and it's not the real me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to satisfy any guy on the first date.

With Devin, it was my sixth attempt of a decent first date. Before** he **asked me, he admits to studying the relationship culture on Earth, with what was expected on dates and what not. Problem was, America was just as different from any other country as Osmos was to Earth.

But besides that, I got ready like I do for any normal day. Brush hair, brush teeth, Flock of Seagulls concert T, jeans and tennis shoes. No make up for this date. The little pimple that rested on my hairline irked me a bit, but I just let a strand rest over my eye, covering it. Besides, Devin liked me for the person I was. He says that to me all the time, and somethings he said to me make me blush a little, I hate to admit.

When I heard the car pull into the driveway and my over-bearing, protective father warily call me, I didn't bother double checking in the mirror and just went downstairs, opened the door and felt my jaw drop.

"Unbelievable," I gasped.

Devin is naturally handsome. He really is. His hair was unnaturally tidy and he didn't have a single dab of greasy gel on his head. He was always relaxed, even though he was desperately trying to secretly fit in with us.

So it really shocked me to see him all dressed up, clad in a suit with polished black shoes. He had a bright, excited smile on his face until he saw my possibly shocked expression, and his grip on the gigantic bouquet of daises lessened a little. He straightened himself up though and laughed nervously, just like another time he would make a naive mistake. "This would probably be more for a...formal date, wouldn't it?"

"It's...totally fine." I focused on the flowers that he bought me and realized something, a big grin on my face. "You remembered."

"Plain, white daises. Simple, yet beautiful." _Just like you _almost made it past his lips, but he stopped himself and handed them to me before I could blush like a fool. I inhaled the sweet smell of the flowers, and before I could gush out a thank you, my mom was right behind me and cooing in awe.

"Oh my gosh, honey, I am loving these flowers! My oh my!" She took the flowers from me. "I'll find a vase for-" She got a good look at me and made a disgusted face. "Now _why _aren't you ready?"

I rolled my eyes while Devin laughed.

It was going to be a long night.

xXxXxXx

"I figured you would like it here. A fancy restaurant would be too much."

I grinned. "It's perfect."

We stood in line at a busy McDonald's, getting ready to order. Devin had taken off the jacket, vest and tie, his blouse unbuttoned at the top. A few girls eyed him with obvious interest, but he kept his eyes on me the whole time. I smirked at them and they looked away, embarrassed by being caught.

"What are you going to get?" I asked. Devin's experience with human food had broadened and matured over the past couple of months so he was able to sepreate his likes and dislikes. So he knew what he was going to get.

"Cheeseburger, fries and a Coke. You?"

"Chocolate milkshake, cheeseburger and fries. Say...have you ever eaten fries my way?"

"What's your way?"

"Guess you'll have to find out." Once we got our food and sat down, I immediatly showed him. I dipped a french fry and the milkshake and he made a face of disgust. I forced him to eat it, and once I did, he realized it was actually really good. So he got himself a milkshake and we dived in, eating, talking and having a good time. After that we left the car in the parking lot and took a walk around the small, familiar town. We enjoyed laughing at quarter sized shoulder padded dresses and neon colored teased hair that was "all the rage." Then we saw a poster for an alien movie that was playing at night, and we basked in the hilarious irony of that. But we resisted the temptation as paying for tickets and went back to the car when it was starting to get late.

When he was driving me back home, I realized how much it sucked that the date was already ending. I had been so wrapped up in the fun of it all, how comfortable I was with him by my side and not worrying about how I acted or how I looked. I actually enjoyed myself and I didn't want it to ever end.

I looked at him. He had a soft smile on his face, his hand relaxed on the steering wheel. Fleetwood Mac's acoustic guitars added to the calm in the car and I felt a bit more calm myself. "How was it?"

"Hmm?"

"How was the date?" I felt myself quiver on the last word and I cleared my throat. "Did you like it?"

"Of course I did," he grinned. "It was a lot of fun. I'd actually like to do it again."

"What." It came out as a deadpan, but I was actually shell shocked. I froze to the leather seat. "You...do?"

Devin frowned. "Is something wrong with that?"

"No!" I shouted quickly, making both of us jump. Then I cleared my throat, my cheeks heating. "Um...it's just...other dates haven't gone so well and...I guess it's just nice to hear that you...want another one."

"Other dates haven't faired so well, huh?" He paused, thoughtful. "What were they like?"

I relaxed a little and told him of the nightmarish expectations, pleased to see him nod in understanding. When he finally pulled into the driveway, I felt like I couldn't move. I wanted to stay. My heart hammered in my chest and I wanted to do it. Really, really WANTED to do it. So badly. I craved to-

"Thank you for such an amazing human experience. I know that you may have felt different than me, but...it was a wonderful experience. It really was. I...can't describe it." He took off his seatbelt and his hand remained on the buckle, pausing in thought. "I...was wondering something."

"What?"

"Is it...a normal human thing to do after a date to...kiss?"

_Oh sweet Jesus._ God, I was really red now. I wanted to crawl under a hole and smother him at the same time. Conflicting emotions much? I took a deep breath. "Um...I guess."

"You guess?" he chuckled. "Are you scared or something?"

"No! Jesus, son of GOD why are you doing this to me?"

"Doing what to you?"

Frustrated I leaped out of the car. He followed me faster than I ever thought he could.

"Wait! Olivia, sorry, I'm not used to these kind of-"

I know he was. I know that he wasn't used to things like this. I needed to show him. I really needed to. I guess I just kind of lost it, I guess. But hell...

Who would ever thought that Devin was a good kisser?

* * *

**R.I.P DWAYNE MCDUFFIE. A WONDERFUL WRITER, LOVING HUSBAND AND AMAZING HUMAN BEING. YOU WILL BE MISSED!**


	85. She

Disclaimer: MoA. I don't like you. Gr.

A/N: (Sigh) I feel so upset now D: For Dwayne's family...it has to be really tough, dealing with such a devastating event. It kind of irritates me how people are all pissed off like "What's going to happen to the show" and "I wanted to ask him some questions and now I can't!" It's like "Really? A man just died and all your worried about is the show? _REALLY?_" But it can't be helped, you know?

Anyway-before I start tearing off heads-onward with BDT :)

Big Damn Table

85. She

"Is **she **the one?"

I glanced up from the ridiculously shiny things in the glass case, eyebrow raised. My eyes hooked onto the lady's ring, where there rested an oval shaped diamonds encased in tiny rubies. My eyes lifted up meeting hers. She looked like she was in her mid-forties, maybe fifties. Lines etched her face and her hair was obviously starting to gray. Her eyes were expectant, waiting for an answer.

"Of course. Wouldn't be here if she wasn't." It sounded a bit harsh and I was about to correct myself, but she laughed, waving a hand.

"You're right. That was a rather idiotic question wasn't it?" Then she sighed. "It's just that...many women come in here, faces radiant. Some are weary, dreading that-for some crazy reason-that there would never be a man that would come in here and look for that special ring for them."

She straightened up immediately, as did I, warmth lighting up her face. "But enough of that. So, is it someone that I may know of?"

Just to be careful, I leaned in and whispered the name. When she let out a wild gasp and hushed herself when people around us turned toward us, I knew that it was a good idea. "Well gosh! You must be Kevin. I've heard of you before but the spotlight isn't quite drawn on you so much. And I must say, she's a pretty girl. Smart too, from what I've heard. She's attending Harvard, right?"

"That's right." After Ben was in the spotlight for a few years, Gwen was brought to attention too, and not because she used to fight with Ben. She was thinking of having a bachelor's or professionals degree in an advanced science course, and worked with one of the smartest young adults in Harvard, Jack Robertson.

Now if it got out that she was engaged, the spotlight was going to expand anymore, and I wanted to make sure that it wasn't going to happen.

She pantomimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key. "It's not a problem. It'll be our little secret. Now let's get to it. Let's discuss our options here."

I filled her in. She was born in December, she loved sapphieres and tended to have a romantic, girly side if provoked.

"My mom had a silver band she let me have to add to the engagement ring." I pulled out the slim band. "It was my mom's originally, but my father died when I was young, so she just kept the wedding ring."

"So you wish to add this to the ring?" she smiled. "How wonderful. It's like your starting a tradition!"

I laughed, but it still felt all too new to me. It felt really weird. "Hope so."

She looked down at the case and her eyes widened. "You know what? I have the perfect ring!" She froze, then sheepish. "Is there a price range?"

"Anything below 10,000 is fine."

She looked a bit shocked (OK, understatement) and then let it go. I smirked as soon as her back was turned. I still had money from the old black market deals. Add all that to Plumber and auto shop salary and I was set for life. If she said yes, she could have a million dollar wedding if she wanted (Not going to happen.).

"Here it is." She sat back down and handed it to me.

I felt a bit amazed. I never thought I was going to be able to hold a ring like this in a long time. I was a senior in college and I was holding a double digit thousand dollar ring. But after I really looked at it, I knew it was something special. The thin silver band had tiny emeralds embedded into it with dark stones surronding them. Onyx? Obsidian?

"She has gorgeous emerald eyes," she cooed, almost a purr. "And you have the deepest brown eyes ever. Almost obsidian." Ah. Second guess was right.

"How long have you held onto this?"

"Oh, for the longest time. It's with the specialty rings. Topaz and ruby. Pearl and diamond. Different combinations. No one has touched it until now. It's found the perfect match."

I nodded, imagining the ring on Gwen's finger. Then I grinned. "Name the price." She filled me in with details and I signed insurance papers to make sure that if it ever had anything break off, it could be fixed ASAP. She went in the back to print the copies and I sat there, turning the delicate ring in my hand and watching the facets catch the light. I remembered the going steady ring and how accidental it was. She said yes, but still. This was going to be different. Everything was going to go according to plan and no one was going to-

"Kevin?"

Gwen. Shell shocked, eyes glued on the ring in my hand.

_SHIT._

_

* * *

_

A/N: Teehee ^^ REVIEW!


	86. Choices

Disclaimer: MoA. Who the HELL is Sunny?

A/N: Sunny. I have never heard of this person until I went on iTunes. Rumor has it she'll be trying to cause tension between Gwen and Kevin (I sure as hell hope not!). (pause) Snort. She's gonna rain on their parade! Haha! Get it! 'Cause her name (cricket chirp)...is...Sunny? (silence) Oh I give up. Whatever. You guys make up your own puns. But hell. ELENA IS COMING BACK BITCHES :D TWO WEEKS! (Benulie fans should be scared...)

Big Damn Table

86. Choices

The car rolled to a smooth stop at the front of her house, the engine purring softly. Kevin's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly to the point where his fingers were numb. His suit felt really tight too. Was it getting hot in the car or was he turning into a menopausal old woman? God, he didn't hope so. He checked the car's settings and the heating wasn't broken. It should have been just fine.

"Thank you Kevin." Her clear voice cut through his insane mental babble and he relaxed a bit. "For everything." She laughed, and he caught a nervous edge to it. Was she just as nervous as he was? "I know it was a bit crazy with Ben's, er, pregnancy, but it was an amazing night. You were very kind to do this."

"Don't mention it." _Shit. _His voice was two octaves higher than normal.

There was a smile in her voice. "I'm glad I didn't go to the school dance. I have a feeling that this was a hundred times better. Best **choice **ever."

"Really?"

"Yeah." A pause. "You should clean up like this more often. I would have never known that you'd look good in a bow tie."

"The suit belongs to Max." He winced, remembering Max's sacrifice at the Highbreed hatchery a few weeks back. It was a cold, bitter reminder, but Gwen remained light.

"It is? It...fits. Almost perfectly. You know what? Scratch that. It fits perfectly." He looked up slowly and noticed that she seemed more amused than heartbroken.

"Yeah, well..." He fingered the hole in the jacket, frowning. "I'm going to have to fix this."

"Accidents happen."

She was trying to assure him things were alright. He shouldn't feel this nervous. He was _the _Mr. Rougish Charm anyway, wasn't he? He smiled at that thought and sat back, letting his back sink into the leather of the seat and got comfortable. "So you really had a good night? You aren't yanking my chains?"

"Of course I had a great time. And I would do it all again if I could." She raised an eyebrow, curious. "Why? You really doubt what I said?"

"I don't know the mind of women."

Gwen rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. "I really did enjoy everything you did." She turned and flicked the lock, a loud click echoing in the car. Before she got out, she turned around, a softer smile on her face that made him melt under her gaze, no matter how much he would doubt it later. "I really hope that we can do something like this again. Despite the mess we've made..." They looked down at the hem of her white dress to see that it was ripped and caked with drying mud. "Despite the events that led to it...I would do it again."

Kevin remembered the feeling of being so close to her, her lean body fitting against his tall, muscular figure perfectly. Jigsaw pieces was an overused cliche, but it seemed like a perfect description. Their hands connected, the feeling of her pulse against his wrist...He would do it all again too. "Yeah. I would too."

"You could," she laughed. They sat in comfortable silence, then she put her hand on the door handle to get out of the car. Then Kevin felt panic. _No. I'm not letting this whole thing like this. _His hand coiled around her waist, pulling her back onto the seat. She turned toward him, panic in her eyes before his lips caught hers. He felt the muscles in her body clench and her lips frozen against him, and he felt a sinking feeling his stomach. She didn't want to move that fast. _Should have figured_, he hissed at himself, forcing himself away from her. _She says she wants me, then she hesitates. I should have been more patient. She didn't even feel anything did she? My breath probably smells like shit. Jesus Christ, I can't get this right, can I? I-_

Her hand rested on her shoulder, then clenched on, turning him to face her again. Her lips pressed against his this time, her body sinking into his, fitting herself into him and he felt...something. A spark. Fireworks. Fire. He was lit up, fired up, and he wanted more. He clutched onto her, hanging on to her like she was his last breath of oxygen to survive. He held onto her tightly, but tenderly enough not to break her.

He didn't want to let go and neither did she.

* * *

A/N: IT'S FINALLY DONE. SWEET JESUS AND HIS MAMA. Review? :D


	87. Life

Disclaimer: Ah hahahahahaha Oh, at least Sunny wasn't blond. Thank you MoA, for at least that.

A/N: My Eunice is back :D I know some people wanted him back, and I thank you guys for that :D Glad to know people like my stuff. And ELENA IS COMING BACK. THIS WEEK. YESSSSS xD I watched the preview for the episode this week andddd WHAT THE EFF. Elena's dad is dead? And I totally laughed as Validus is like "I know what you wanted to do to Elena!" Sounds soooo wrong ;P But anyway...

Oh. Holy Shit. Holy Shit...Charlotte Fullerton was married to Dwayne O.O I had NO idea... Charlotte Fullerton, I am so sorry. I had NO idea...

Big Damn Table

87. Life

Ben woke up, feeling more pissed than usual. He was supposed to be relaxed. Camping trips were always relaxing, that's how **life **worked for him. So what was the exception with this?

Well, to start it all off, the yelling outside of his tent. Well, the yelling was mostly from Kevin. It sounded like Eunice tried to reason with Kevin, but from the sounds of it, Kevin wasn't backing down without a fight. Ben sighed heavily, then stiffened. He breathed into his hand and made a face. Ugh. Morning breath. He had forgotten his toothpaste at home in a fit of excitement and had to borrow Kevin's with permission. From the way things were working out, Ben would have to sneak out the toothpaste.

He wiggled out of his sleeping bag and opened up the tent. Gwen was nowhere to be seen, it was just Eunice and Kevin arguing. Was Gwen on another early morning walk? Or was she sleeping with ear plugs? Oh, crap. Another thing he forgot.

"Guys, what the hell is going on?" he groaned, rubbing his eyes. The sun nearly blinded him.

Kevin turned toward him with a feral snarl. "'Bout time you got your ass up Tennyson!"

"Leave him alone," Eunice sighed, shaking his head. "He needed his rest."

Kevin turned to Eunice again. "Oh, sure get him on your side! Bet he wouldn't be all buddy-buddy with you if he figured out what happened!"

"It was an accident!"

"Oh, sure, like _that _was a coincidence."

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" Ben shouted over the arguing pair, immediatly shutting them up. The two quitted a little, and Eunice's face paled, then turned bright red. Kevin noticed this, and smirked at his expense.

"Well go ahead Eunice. Tell him what happened."

Eunice's face went pale, then turned bright red. Ben rose an eyebrow at Eunice's expression, a little interested now. "Wellllll?"

"I...went to the lake to wash up. And...I saw Gwen before she left. She had a book bag, and I thought she was just going on another early morning hike, you know? So I just went to the lake and then I saw..."

"You saw...?"

"Gwen. She was bathing."

About twenty different images spiraled in Ben's head and he screamed. He rocked back and forth in fetal position, shouting a line of "ew"s and Kevin launched right back into the argument, pissed as hell. Poor Gwen was going to walk into this at the wrong time.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

A few hours later, Gwen had joined them. Things had actually simmered down after Ben was able to maintain his cleanliness again, and it was settled that it was all just an accident. A coincidence. Kevin was just pissed because another guy saw her before he ever got the chance. And knowing Kevin, he'd watch (he didn't disagree to that). Gwen was all smiles when she walked up. "Wow. The fire looks nice. Really great job Eunice."

"Er...thanks."

Gwen settled down next to Kevin and rested her head on Kevin's shoulder. "So...how are you boys doing?"

Ben winced as images flooded back into his head. "Shit!" He ran back into his tent and zipped it up. Gwen looked at the two boys, one amused, one blushing like crazy.

"Did I...miss something?"

Kevin laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, you have no idea."

* * *

A/N: Just a few giggles for a sad day :( Dwayne is still missed...Review?


	88. School

Disclaimer: If MoA is really concerned if I'm trying to own Ben 10 from them, they shouldn't be. I'm not really all that aggressive :P

A/N: WOOT :D 200 REVIEWS xD Existing Paranoia, I freaking love you for letting me reach my goal of receiving **2** freaking **hundred reviews**! I mean, yeah, it's a big collection, so it's kinda obvious that I'm going to get a large chunk of reviews...but hell, it's still pretty awesome that I've received so many :) Thank you guys, for everything! If I could name everyone that encouraged me to keep this going, I'd take up most of this chapter :P Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you read this until the end :D We're almost done!

By the way: I have a new profile: PLEASE PUT IN YOUR VOTES! It would be really nice of you to help me out :D Thanks!

Big Damn Table

88. School

Gwen rolled the car into an empty parking spot and put it in parking. She pulled the keys out of the ignition and took a quick glance around, curious and a bit excited. Maybe too excited. She felt like she was going to start bouncing up and down in her seat. She rolled her eyes at herself, laughed at her expense and got out of the car. Before she could walk on, she stopped herself and looked at her reflection in the window. It wasn't really clear whether she looked okay, but she could see that she probably over did it with her hair. She let her hair free from the carefully placed and hairspray-ed bun and shook it out, letting it fall carelessly down her shoulders. Nodding to herself, she took a quick last look at herself and then walked toward the **school**.

This was the first time that she ever visited Kevin's school. She had the day off, due to a staff meeting, so she was free to do whatever today. She looked up his school's website and found out the school hours. She figured she could visit him and see his school. He had one hour lunch at his school too, so she had an hour to hang out with him. She had it all planned out.

As soon as she reached the steps to the front doors, the bell rang, signaling lunch. There was already an excited buzz of conversations within seconds of entering the school. She smiled at her surroundings. Red Hills High had two floors, separating the upper and lowerclassmen. Red banners lined with black hung from the ceilings, boasting winning championships and games. There was a locked glass case, holding trophies. She noticed a few people were wearing jerseys, signaling that there was a game tonight.

A girl that passed by was wearing sweatpants and a dance team jacket, her hair held in a shiny red and black ponytail. She stopped, her eyes critically looking at Gwen. "Something tells me you don't go here."

"Um...does it show?"

She laughed, then offered a hand. "Melissa. Are you new here?"

"Actually, I'm just visiting."

"Huh." Melissa wrinkled her ski-slope shaped nose. "Are you allowed to even do that?"

"Only if I had a pass." She held it up, and Melissa nodded. "Do you know Kevin Levin?"

Melissa's eyebrows perked up. "Yeah. Only the whole school knows him. Why?"

"Um...just wondering."

"He usually hangs out with his crowd on the second floor. Room 258. Some of my friends go in there for tutoring in government, but really..." She winked. "It's just to get a glimpse of him. Lordy, he's hot."

"Well, thanks, I guess," Gwen said quickly, nearly running to the stairs. She felt a bit of anger, but then waved it off as jealously. Like she didn't see that coming. He had a bad rep, and yes, he was hot. Really, it just all comes down to one thing.

_What do all girls want?_

She reached 258 and saw him sitting with three other guys and two girls. One of the guys was playing guitar, a blonde with pink streaks coiled around him. The other girl had ear plugs stuffed in her ears, bobbing her head along with another guy. Kevin was talking to a guy with a bad haircut and thick black glasses, then laughed at what he said. Then Kevin's eyes met Gwen's, and he cut off whatever he was saying. "Gwen?"

"Hey."

All of his friends turned to her, interest obvious in their eyes. The pink streaked girl grinned. "_The _Gwen? Man, she is hot."

"Not playing for your team, remember?" The other girl smirked, taking out one earphone. "But then again, she is. Kevin, you've been holding back on us."

The guy that played the guitar rolled his eyes. "OK. You're probably confusing the poor girl." He elbowed Kevin. "Aren't you going to greet your girlfriend or what?"

"Yeah, just...I'm surprised that you even remembered that I go here," Kevin laughed. He got up and Gwen let out a sigh of relief.

"Of course I did." She was surprised when he actually put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. He didn't show any affection in public. Guess this was a totally different enviornment that he was comfortable with.

"This is new," she murmured into his shirt.

"What is?"

"This. You. Hugging me in public."

"It's these guys." He thrusted a thumb in their direction, causing them to grin back at her, with a genuine, sincere smile. "They've been bugging me about me and you. SO, I think they finally get that I really have a girlfriend. That isn't imaginary."

Gwen couldn't stifle her laugh. "Imaginary?"

"They get creative when they try to come up with their own explanations."

The pink streaked girl disattached herself from the guitar guy and wrapped her arms around Gwen, drowning her in a smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. "My real name is Bethany, but I call myself B. Do _not_, I repeat, _do not _call me Beth."

The guitar guy chipped in with a mischevious grin. "Believe me, the last time someone called her Beth, they were a permenant soprano."

"Thanks to you, I got suspended because of that."

"Well, the guy wanted to know what else to call you. I didn't 'remember' so I just told him to call you Beth."

"I sense air quotes in that statement."

The two argued back in forth and Gwen smiled, looking up at Kevin. "Your friends are as just as crazy as Ben."

He chuckled. "And you wonder why I'm getting used to him."

* * *

A/N: Heehee :D That was a fun one...Elena is coming back. One more day xD REVIEW!


	89. Work

Disclaimer: MoA. I hate you with a burning passion (not really). Gr. I mean, seriously, what the flipping french fries D: But, however, I do own B. Beth. Bethany. Whatever...

A/N: I'm afraid if I mention the title of the last episode, I will burst into a frantic, never ending rant.

**Kevin**: What? Revenge of the Swarm?

**Me**: ...(chainsaw roar) I'll be back. Enjoy kiddies :D (looks at Kevin) 'Oi! Don't absorb that wood! Are you stupid?

Big Damn Table

89. Work

Kevin plopped down on the couch with a heavy, content sigh. "The deed is done."

Gwen looked away from the TV, smirking at Kevin as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. "Deed? You make it sound like such a terrible ordeal."

"Mikia's a little monster," he grinned, a little affection leaking into his voice. After a few weeks of baby-sitting Mikia, the Frightening Four stage swayed and Mikia absolutely adored Kevin. She was like the little sister he never had. "She forced me to tell her a story about us."

"What about us?"

"Fighting." She gave him a scornful look and he chuckled. "I kept it kid friendly, don't worry. I told her about the time when Ben was pregnant with the baby Big Chills."

Gwen snorted at the memory. "You didn't."

Kevin grinned mischievously. "I did."

She sighed, shaking her head. "If he figures out that you told someone else..."

"He isn't going to do anything."

"He'll go Rath on you."

"Good point. Very good point." Kevin sighed heavily. "Now that I think about it, it probably won't be a good thing to bring up around him now. He's still pretty upset about..." His lips twitched as he tried to get the word out, but Gwen picked up on what he meant.

"Elena."

"Yeah." The two sat in silence as the sad memory came over them. Just two weeks ago Elena returned with the chips. She was taken over by the Queen of the Hive and sacrificed herself to save Ben. Ben had remained silent and whenever they had a case, he was always on the edge and never spoke a command to Gwen or Kevin like he usually did. He had kept to himself, and Julie called Gwen to fill her in on the details. Ben hated the fact that Elena gave herself up for him. She had loved him. Ben had loved her too, but he had Julie now. It killed Julie to know this, but she was trying to comfort Ben. He really needed it.

Gwen bit her lip and focused on something else. She tried grasping onto something else, anything to get her mind off of it. Then she remembered Kevin's constant stammering about his so called "friends" that he didn't see anymore. "So. What about your past girlfriends?"

"Huh?" It looked like she had slapped him across the face. "What're you-"

"Your friends. Please," she scoffed. "That was a horrid cover up."

"It was, wasn't it?" he muttered to himself bitterly. He considered it for a bit, a pained expression on his face. "Do I have to tell?"

"I told you about my ex's. You tell me yours."

"Yeah, but I didn't force you to tell me. That was all on you."

"Still..."

Kevin sighed. "I'll tell you about the one after the Null Void. That's it. No more after that." Gwen waited patiently and he smiled. "Good girl. Alright. So I winded up in Michigan after I got out of the Null Void. Somewhere about 5 hours away from Bellwood, I forget. I was freaking out about Kwarrel's death, shaken and scared shitless. I didn't know what to do without him. So I crawled into an alley and somehow managed to find a gang." He saw her eyes widen then relax. "They saw that I was freaked out. I was a kid, so they treated me rough. But when I got my name out, I was treated like a celeb. They knew who I was. I was the one that tried to kill Ben Tennyson, the one with the Omnitrix. They said they would never have the guts to do that, and wondered how I got out of jail.

"I lied. Told them I beat the crap out of the guards and got away a free man. No help, no assistance." He laughed harshly. "They took my word and weaved me into the group within moments. They told me I can **work **with them, try and get some sort of money. I had no idea that 'work' would be black market deals. But I got crammed into the business before I could reject it. I began to slowly deny the danger of it all and went on with it. I trashed people, letting them hang for the Plumbers to deal with them. I was horrible, I knew it, but the others told me I shouldn't care. B encouraged that."

Gwen rose an eyebrow. "Wait. The girl with pink streaks? But...isn't...she...?"

"Yeah. She plays for the other team now, but she used to be straight until she was 16." He wrinkled his nose. "At least that's what she told me..." He shook his head. "Anyway," he smiled, making Gwen laugh. "As soon as I saw her, I thought she was hot. I was 14, she was 13, you know? First girl I saw in like, what, three years maybe? She thought I was some hot stuff too. We got together and helped each other in the black market. After some time she got bored with me and had to move to Bellwood with her family. I didn't worry about it too much though. I wasn't..._feeling _anything. At all. No spark, no affection...she was just a pretty little thing. As was Sam, Tabitha, Mary Ann..."

"I'm sensing hesitation," Gwen teased, although she was a bit petrified hearing this. Jesus, how many other ex-girlfriends did he have?

He shrugged. "Not somethings you wanna hear. I'll tell you though, Tabitha had the most disgusting tounge ring. She never took it out, so her breath always smelled bad."

"Tell me you didn't..."

"Our first kiss really sucked."

"Ewwww-uh!"

Kevin grinned at the disgust on Gwen's face. "See? You really shouldn't be all that jealous."

She frowned, glaring at him. "Who said I was jealous?"

"Why else would you want to know?"

"I was curious."

"Were you? Were you really?"

Gwen rolled her eyes and relaxed a little, her head resting against his shoulder. "So tell me. Do you feel different with me around? Do you feel a spark? Affection?"

Kevin pursed his lips. "I guess it was just that one night that made me feel different all of a sudden. When we saw each other again. When you helped fix me up after that fight. I was visiting Bellwood and I see you in the middle of the night, singing some song and screaming 'Why can't I be normal?'"

She blushed at the memory. "You...remember that?"

"'Course. Then I saw you again, with Ben and the other Plumber. As soon as you touched my shoulder..." He grinned and kissed her forehead, making her jump at the surprising, loving contact. "I knew you were different than all of the others. You would never leave me. You're more than just a pretty little thing. You're definantly more than that to me."

* * *

A/N: UGHHHHHH! (sigh) That was a horrid ending. I tried to retype the ending over and over and over again, and I caught myself before I broke the school keyboard out of frustration ^^; Real life romance sucks lollipops man. It really does. NOW. REVIEW AND GO ON MY PROFILE AND VOTE ON MY POLL. PLEASE WITH SUGAR, WHIPPED CREAM, CHOCOLATE CHIPS, HOT FUDGE AND CHERRY ON TOP. PLEASE.


	90. Home

Disclaimer: (raspberry noise)

A/N: Sorry, too much Gwevin :D But I can't think of anything else...Belena and Benulie depresses me and my other pairings are sort of weak at the moment :/ If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me! I can even do Bevin...(whimper) Haha, just kidding (Then maybe again...) This was inspired by my step dad and I going house hunting a few years ago :) He was such a pain...

Big Damn Table

90. Home

"So. This is it?"

The woman turned to Kevin slowly, a bit miffed at the emotionless tone in his voice. "Is...there something wrong with it?" she smiled, being really careful about snarling at him. This was the fourth house today and she knew that "Three times the charm" was merely an expression. She hoped that his wife would come in and save her now. She was incredibly wonderful and easy to work with. Mrs. Levin had the normal things a woman would want in her home. Spacious rooms, enough yard for her future children to play on and a finished basement. Mr. Levin, however...

Kevin shrugged, getting out of the woman's car. "It's just too...small." It was a egg shell white split level home, with dark green shutters and a deep red painted door with gold accents. "And it's not my kind of house, you know?"

The woman glared at him. He looked a little rough, a long scar running along his cheekbone and he wore hole-y jeans and a black t-shirt. The last time she saw Mrs. Levin, her long auburn hair was pulled up in a bun and wore a blouse and skirt. She was more cleaner than he was. Guess opposites attract...

"What _is _your type of **home**?" she almost hissed.

"Oh, you know. Hot tub. Three floors."

"Wait. Hold on. What was the second part?"

"Oh, hot tub?"

"..."

"You know...it's a tub. With hot water in it."

"Dammit, I know what it-" she cut off, eyes widening. Kevin smirked. He was enjoying this. He really was. She sighed heavily and moved hastily towards the house. "Let's just go inside, shall we?"

"It's too clean. I don't like it," he shrugged, not moving an inch.

"So help me, I will _force _you into this house."

"What are you, my mother?"

Her eye twitched and her papers dropped onto the paved driveway.

~~~~~2 Hours Later~~~~~~~

Gwen walked into her apartment with a content sigh, dropping her purse on the ground next to the door. After a long doctor's appointment, she wanted to make some tea, lounge on the couch and watch some Lifetime movies. Her eyes moved to the couch, seeing that it was already taken. Kevin's head was turned away from her, and he was watching some Science channel show about how people constructed cars. She let out a snort. Should have figured...

Kevin heard her and turned to her. "Oh. Hey there."

Once she got a good look at him, she freaked. "Oh my God, Kevin, what happened?"

He laughed, lifting the ice pack from his swollen eye. It was going to be purple within a couple of hours. "I got in a fight."

"With who?" Her maternal instincts took over and she growled. "I swear to God, I'm going to rip their freaking throat out-"

"Aw, it's not that bad."

"You have bruises all over you!"

"I've taken worse."

She paused. "Yeah...you have. But in all seriousness though, what the hell happened to you?"

"That woman packed a serious punch. Or hit. Her purse was really heavy, now that I think about it."

Her suspicion snapped. "Wait. Which woman."

Kevin grew nervous. When Gwen got pissed off, she got pissed off. She makes things blow up. Literally. "Um...that Rachel chick. The person that showed us the houses?"

She sat still. Very still.

_Uh oh. _

"Kevin. Ethan. Levin."

_Full name ultimatium. Oh, this isn't good...this is sooo not good..._

Gwen's eyes flashed a deep, pulsing magenta, then reverted back to normal and her face screwed up in anger. "That was our second realtor in five months. YOU DID IT AGAIN?"

"She didn't pick anything good! We should just go house hunting by ourselves!"

Kevin sighed as he realized that this wasn't going to work. He was so screwed...

* * *

A/N: Haha :D Review!


	91. Birthday

Disclaimer: :D Whatevs. It's all good in the hood ;)

A/N: GWEVIINNNNNN xD (SQUEE!) Finally! I know it's late, but still. Eeee ^^ You know, Kevin really needs to spit it out though. He REALLY needs to tell her how he really feels. (pause) Even though he probably talks to her about it off screen. I WANT IT ON SCREEN THOUGH. I've been doing a lot of Gwevin though...time to do something different. (restrains from writing Gwevin anyway) Must...resist!

Big Damn Table

91. Birthday

"Your serve!"

Julie exhaled slowly through her nose, relaxing and calming her mind and tense muscles in her body. Her opponent watched her cautiously, racket held tightly in her hand and her eyes darting around the court. Julie inhaled again, bouncing the tennis ball a few times and with a quick exhale, she swung the racket with a smooth strike. The stadium was quiet as the two danced across the court, trying to throw each other off, trying to find a certain angle. The difference between the two girls was that Julie was balanced and more relaxed, able to focus more. The opponent just swung, hoping for the best.

Julie finally found an empty spot and with another quick breath, she struck at the ball again. The opponent missed a swing and the ball bounced away. The audience broke into a loud applause and the commentary shouted her name with so much praise her heart swelled.

_I won Nationals...I can't believe it. I _won _Nationals! Me! _

Her opponent walked toward the net before she could fully relish in the triumph. Her opponent's eyes were shining, almost as if she was about to cry, and her jaw was set. Julie felt a heavy feeling settling in her stomach, understanding her pain of losing the competition. She tried for a nice smile and walked toward her, hand raised up to shake hers. "Great game. I wouldn't have anyone else to compete with." The opponent's hand was hot and clammy against hers.

"Yeah. Right," she snorted in disgust. With a toss of her brown hair, she strutted off to the locker rooms, head held high. Before Julie could consider the rudeness of the moment, she was swallowed up by sports reporters. Even a few guys from ESPN was there, taking pictures and video clips of her. They shouted her name and a cool, golden trophy was pushed into her hands and her heart jumped at the contact.

_How's it feel to be the the winner for the Midwest Nationals competition Julie?_

_Is Ben Tennyson watching your game Ms. Yamamoto?_

_How'd you manage such a win?_

She heard his name a few times more before she finally spoke. "It feels great to win. Really."

_Happy birthday to me..._

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

After a few hours or so, the audience had cleared out and the stadium was clear of people and sports journalists. There were a few janitors cleaning up confetti and food from the stage as Julie and her family sat on the court. Her grandmother was silent as Julie's parents chattered to her cousins, aunts and uncles about how great she was. She felt something missing and her grandmother knew what it was.

A frail hand rested on Julie's knee and she meet her old, kind eyes. "Julie," she murmured softly, her Japanese accent thick in her voice. "Where is Ben?"

"He's fighting somewhere _obaasan (*grandmother)_," Julie said cooly, holding her hand. "He's really busy."

"What about your friends?"

"They couldn't come. It's too far away, they can't miss school."

"Not _them_. The red head girl and the black haired boy."

"Gwen and Kevin?" She almost smiled at the tear-filled apology Gwen had when she called Julie. She really wanted to come but family was visiting for the three day weekend for her prep school, but she would make sure to watch it on TV to cheer her on. Kevin refused to come if Gwen wasn't going, so that was a no-brainer. Ben though...

There was a lump in her throat. He had promised. Then again, he promised about other things then he couldn't make it because of hero business. Just _once _it would be nice to have Ben there in the stands, cheering her on when she won her first _real _tournament. "_Magomusume _(*granddaughter). You mean more than anything in the universe to him. More than the sunshine that helps the Earth grow and the oxygen we breathe. You, my little cherry blossom, should deserve better."

"Obaasan, the universe needs him more than I need him," Julie laughed, tearing up a little. Usually her grandmother was strict in her Japanese culture, saying that Julie had grown Westernized, just like her father, but at this moment, she was her little girl. Nothing more. "I'm sure that he remembered."

"I bet he did. Doesn't mean that he isn't here in person."

With that, the conversation ended and her mother said they had to get back at the airport to catch the plane back to Michigan. The airport was ten minutes away and the family was able to catch their flight. The sky was dark, but the stars had not appeared yet. Wispy clouds passed by and she felt sleep tug at her eyes. Before she could close them, her cousin tugged at her sleeve. "What is it Aimi?"

Aimi stabbed at the window. "Julie! Julie! Julie!" she said frantically. "Look! Look!"

"Yeah, the city's nice at night, isn't it?"

Aimi rolled her eyes. "_Look_! Look!" Julie leaned over and a gasp lodged in her throat.

"_Ben_?"

Jetray flew beside the window and people around her immediatly snapped, taking pictures and calling his name. Jetray grinned at her, holding up a rolled up slip of paper. Then he flew closer and rolled it open, pressing it against the window.

_Sorry about missing the Nationals game, but congrats on winning! :) Great **birthday **present huh?_

_P.S. Would you mind going steady with me?_

Her grandmother chuckled, shaking her head tiredly. "Cheeseball American teen boys..."

* * *

A/N: I HAD TO. I REALLY DID xD Review? :)


	92. Christmas

Disclaimer: Don't tend to claim anything that really belongs to MoA. Also, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is incredible. Just saying. I'm actually starting to consider writing fanfiction to it...

A/N: Oh. My. God. Ben 10,000 is coming back. Ben 10,000 is coming back. We haven't seen this guy in YEARS. YEARSSSSS. AND we have a Gwen centered episode coming out on the 8th :D It's all about her day. Something tells me it's not just about school and taekwondo practice...SO EXCITED :D Toonzone forums DO NOT lie people! It just doesn't happen! I'm getting over excited...

I met this girl Kathi that LOVES Young Justice and that's all we've been talking about for three weeks :D It's amazing.

Big Damn Table

92. Christmas

"Have you ever had fruit cake?"

Manny turned away from the TV to look at Helen. His eyes moved to the plastic wrapped bundle in her hands and made a face. "No. Have you?"

She turned the brick hard fruit cake in her hands, frowning. "Never have. There was a nice elderly woman that dropped it off at my house. Apparently she made it for everyone in the neighborhood. Might as well _try _it, being that she put so much effort into it." She sat down next to him and placed the cake on the coffee table. It landed with a lud thump and they exchanged a nervous glance.

"Still want to eat it?"

"Not really." Helen averted her attention from the guilt-enducing fruit cake and looked at Manny. "Are you going to see the mayor light up the tree? I've heard it's really beautiful and you _have _to be there in person to see it."

"Wasn't planning on it. Were you?"

"That's what I was hinting at."

"Oh." Then, without another word, Manny flipped through the channels, bored with the fifth **Christmas** movie that was playing that morning.

"We could decorate the place. Kinda bland for the holidays."

"This is our _headquarters_. Not a house."

"But still..." Helen trailed off, frowning. "Have you even celebrated Christmas with your family?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Manny sighed heavily. "I don't know. We just haven't. We don't really care for holidays. It's all business in my family. My Dad and my Mom are always at their jobs and they want me to focus on my Plumber duties."

Helen watched his angry expression fade from his eyes, fading to want and need. He never had experienced the feeling of family and the holidays. He never knew what it was like, being together and enjoying the day. Then a plan grew in her mind and she grinned. "Manny, grab your coat. We're going out tonight." She got up from the couch to grab her ID mask from the closet.

"We are?"

"Yes!" She tossed his ID mask to him and grinned. "You need to see what Christmas is like in the city. Come on! It's amazing! And it's going to snow today, so it'll be _beautiful_!" He stared at the mask reluctantly as she put hers on, her alien body morphing into a normal teenage girl's. It came with a nice cashmere jacket, so she wouldn't be cold.

"I don't know about this...What about Pierce or Alan? Or Cooper?"

"Cooper's with his parents, as well as Alan. Pierce is on a trip with the Plumber's kids." She shrugged. "We're by ourselves, so we might as well do something."

"Why aren't you with your family?"

"They'll understand." Helen watched him mull it over and finally put the ID mask, dressed in a heavy coat, and his skin a soft mocha. "I take it you're ready?"

Manny smiled, the movement awkward. "Let's go."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxX

"Why is this place so _damn _expensive? Can't you just make this stuff at home?"

A few Starbucks consumers turned around to glare at Manny, then returned back to their drinks. "It's a business Manny. They do what they can to make money." Helen took the hot chocolate from the counter with a quick thanks to the cashier and turned to Manny who was staring at his. "Just drink it."

"I paid five bucks for it. I _will _drink it. It's just that...why is it so _damn _expensive?"

Helen sighed, pulling him out of the store. "C'mon. Let's go." A blast of cold air smacked them in the face and Manny let out a loud swear that startled a couple walking on the sidewalk. "Manny, it's just cold air. Don't worry about it."

"But it's freaking _freezing _out here! Do you really enjoy this?"

Helen rolled her eyes at him as he kept walking and babbling about how crappy it was outside. Yes, it was freezing and no one really wanted to be outside with drippy noses, but once the city's buildings and lights turned on along with the town's Christmas tree, it was going to be worth it. "Drink your hot chocolate if you're so cold." He took a sip and she laughed at the expression on Manny's face. "Worth the five bucks?"

"Worth it. Definantly." After a couple more sips, he finally warmed up and walked in silence to look around the town. They were a couple minutes away from the park where the tree was going to light up, she reminded him. He actually didn't seem to mind. The Salvation Army rang their bell throughout the town and Manny stopped at one of the many red stands, going through his pockets. Helen watched in amazement when Manny dropped in a twenty.

"That was really thoughtful of you."

Manny shrugged. "Hey, there's people out there that need help. Why not give back."

"Huh. So Manny Armstrong has a soft side."

"Yeeeeeeeah...don't tell Kevin about this."

"He actually donated some money for Gwen's prep school. It was for the foster home in Chesterwood." Her eyes widened. "Oops. Wasn't supposed to tell you that."

Manny laughed. "Guess we're pretty much on the same team now huh?"

"Guess so."

A sharp whistle cut them off and they turned to see a group of rowdy, drunk men waving to them. One of them was holding something up on a fishing hook with a big sly grin. "Hey ya lovebirds! Whatcha walking away for?"

"Lovebirds?" Manny repeated. "We aren't love-" His eyes moved up. "Shit."

"What?" Helen looked up too and froze. "Shit. Shit indeed."

A bundle of miseltoe hung over their heads, swinging lightly in the breeze. The men immediatly began a crude chant, driving them to anger. The one holding the miseltoe up sighed heavily. "Forget it guys! These Americans aren't worth anything. Not a drop of entertainment, the lot of them..." Manny began to retort but Helen pulled him away, her cheeks bright red. "Pansies, the lot of them. Pansies, pansies, pansies..." Helen rolled her eyes at the drunken men and kept walking.

"Why must people be so rude?" she muttered.

Another man shouted out. "Oh come on, get on with it! It's a tradition, ain't I? You seem like the kinda that would follow rules, amiright boys?" There was a disgusting agreement between them, then there was a dramatic sigh. "Oh, if I must!" Someone yanked her shoulder back and before Manny could grab her, the man's mouth was pushed up against hers, soggy and sloppy. Manny yanked her back and there was a sharp crunch. Helen stared in shock at the man that had fallen on the ground before him, whimpering in pain.

"C'mon Helen, let's go." Manny pulled her away hastily, noticing the stares from curious bystanders. "Let's go see the tree." His grip was warm against her wrist, his intent to be quick made his voice urgent. Yet somehow he was still soft and gentle to him. Protective...Her cheeks heated at her thoughts. What the hell was she thinking? A drunk man just kissed her and now she's thinking about Manny? He knew that the effects of alcohol didn't come through contact, but it seemed like it now. "Bastards," he hissed. "Drunken, immature bastards. I'd like to dump the hot chocolate on his face, but that would be a waste of five bucks."

"You didn't have to do that you know. Punching him like that. You underestimate your power and he could've gotten killed."

Manny glared at her. "So what, did you _want _to be kissed by that drunk slob?"

"No, I-"

"Look, I got really mad okay? Really mad, really frustrated. When he put his hands on you, I-" He froze, mouth locked open. "I...don't know what came over me...I'm sorry. It won't happen again." And the way he looked so ashamed, so frustrated at himself, it made her smile and relax in his comfortable grip on her wrist.

"Thank you Manny. Thank you."

* * *

A/N: Urgh. I didn't know how to end that...Review and please be honest. Bad or good?


	93. Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: I DON'T CARE.

A/N: Thundercats Ho! xD Oh, I don't know what that was...I guess it's because, oh, I don't know, _Thundercats is coming to Cartoon Network. GASP._ God, I'm such a nerd. But whatever. Hey, I didn't get a lot of reviews for the last one. Honestly, I think I'm better at Gwevin than Manlen :/ Opinions anyone? Well, I'm doing a Gwevin now. Not going to stop me from doing that.

Only 7 more left before I'm done with this! Then it's on to Imperfection!

Big Damn Table

93. Thanksgiving

Kevin normally wasn't into perfection. He always sought a flaw in something, in everything. Even in the ones he loved the most, but let's not go there. He wasn't into everything being totally clean and neat, because he knew that Jaylyn and Delvin would find some way to mess it up. Gwen was more into cleanliness and all of that, not him.

But for some reason, he found some satisfication that the dining room was neatly organized and clean. Even the food was set in order. Meat was at the ends of the table so everyone could reach, and the sides were in the middle so they could be passed around. Plates were set up with the knives, spoons and forks. Wine glasses were ready for the adults and the sippy cups were in the kitchen for Jaylyn and Delvin. If Ben asked who set the table up, Kevin would just say it was him. He didn't care for the comments about doing "housewife cleaning", espicially if it was Ben. Ben was ten times worse than he was.

"Looks great!" Gwen sighed, walking into the room. Jaylyn clung to Kevin's leg and Delvin wiggled into his arms. "Oh, by the way, your turn to watch the kids. I need to get ready." Kevin took in the sweats and the baggy t-shirt, smirking. Gwen saw this and punched him on the arm playfully. "Shut it. I was cleaning the guest rooms upstairs for our parents. We haven't washed those sheets in months."

"You think they had creepy crawlers in there?" he teased, tickling Delvin's arm, making him throw a giggling fit. Jaylyn turned into the little green eyed monster and poked him angrily on the knee, shouting incoherent words. Kevin sighed, leaning down. "Don't worry babe. I love you too." Jaylyn nodded in satisfication, kissed him on the cheek, and hugged his leg again. Gwen smiled at the scene and walked upstairs to get dressed. Within a few minutes, the door bell rang and the **Thanksgiving **dinner began. Grandpa Max, Natalie, Frank, Carl and Sandra came in all at once, looking around at the Levin-Tennyson home. Ben entered with Julie, smirking at the dining room like Kevin had expected. Olivia greeted her son and grandchildren with a big hug and smile. The family was all together once Gwen came back downstairs, dressed for the night.

"Gwen, it's been so long honey," Frank sighed in relief, hugging her tightly. "Last time I saw you was at the wedding."

"I know...and you have a tight grip Daddy," she laughed, making him pull away from her. Kevin smiled, Jaylyn and Delvin still in his arms. "You haven't seen the kids in awhile either."

Natalie cooed at them. "Oh, they have your eyes! The same jade as yours. Jaylyn looks like you when you were young."

"And Delvin looks like his father," Olivia smiled. "Oh, they're going to be heartbreakers when they grow up."

"Delvin gets his traits from his mother," Kevin sighed. "He's so goodhearted. Jaylyn has her father's persistance. And by persistance, I mean impatience."

"Oh geez, I'm hungry!" Ben groaned. "Let's get this show on the road already!" They agreed and commenced. They skipped the thanks and went straight for the turkey carving. Ben joked about Kevin's "maternally skills" as Jaylyn and Delvin stuck on Kevin like glue, but he ignored it easily. Within a few minutes, everyone was eating and having a smooth conversation with one another.

Jaylyn began murmuring a bit louder, then shouted something incoherently. "Lah...lah...ah..."

Gwen brushed the hair from Jaylyn's face. "What is it honey?" Then Delvin joined in with the shouting and the family watched in amusement at the children's random shouting. Then Delvin finally got it out.

"Love! Love you Dada!"

Everyone's breath whoosed out and Kevin and Gwen stared at him in shock. Jaylyn, not wanting to be out done, joined in with enthusisam. "Love you Dada! Love you!" Everyone exchanged glances and witnessed something else new and exotic to them.

For the first time ever since the birth of his two children, Kevin cried.

* * *

A/N :SQQQQUUUUUUEEE! **BEN 10 WEEK NEXT WEEK!** And might I say, older Ben doesn't look too shabby ;) Financial competition's tom. so I've been kinda busy for the past week. Sorry for the late update!


	94. Independence

Disclaimer: DEAR GOD I DON'T- (pause) Whatever.

A/N: What the HELL is up with all of the blonde love interests? Cooper, Charmcaster (Caroline?), Michael, Jennifer, Eunice, now EMILY? God damn, and it was the same actress as Eunice? I mean, I love Molly Quinn (Castle's daughter anyone?) and everything but WHY can't there be another brunette one? Like Winston? (sigh) Whatever. And ignore the School chapter, 'cause apparently Kevin doesn't go to school... (awkwardness) But that was a sweet moment. Even though Ben ruined the moment...dammit Ben...

Big Damn Table

94. Independence

"You would think being a girlfriend of a world-no, _universal_- known superhero grants you some **independence**. But no. It doesn't work that way. You still have curfews, you still need to go to school, fill out college applications, go to tennis practice, have good grades and follow parents' orders." Julie's eyes scanned the city lights that passed by like bright shooting stars and heaved a heavy sigh. "If you don't follow any of your parents' orders, you're still grounded. Like me. If you sneak out with your boyfriend, by force may I add, and you get caught? You're in for a shit-load of trouble."

Ben pouted. "Oh come on, it wasn't by _force_."

"'Julie, you're going out with me if it's the last thing I do. And I'm not taking no for an answer.'" The deep voice she put on was a poor imitation of his voice, which made him grin. Her face flushed in anger and embarrassment. "Look, I swear to God, if my parents know that I sneaked out of the house."

Ben pulled the car to a stop once they reached a red light. People walking on the sidewalk stared at the car. The windows were tinted enough to shield Ben and Julie's faces, but people already knew it was Ben's car. It was customed enough so people knew who it belonged to. It was kind of like a trademark. "Look, all we're going to do is go to the movies, eat dinner at a resturant and hang out at the park. I even have my ID masks so we can go out and not be recgonized. And besides. It's 11 in the evening. Your parents have to be asleep by now."

"Yeah, but-"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Loosen up, would ya? Let's have some fun. You're grounded for the whole week. You need a little break. Now, just put this on..." He dug into the console and pulled out an ID mask. "Think of anything. You want brown hair? Think of brown hair. Want to look like Paris Hilton. Have at it."

"Huh." A bit mystified at what the ID mask could do, and forgetting all about her sneaking out, she slipped it on. Ben grinned at her.

"Awesome cover up there. No one knows it's you." Ben looked at her a little more. "Actually, you look like you, only 20 years older. You look kind of hot actually...not that you already are anyway..." As he babbled to try to fix what he said, she dug into her pocket and took out her phone. She turned it around to see her reflection and grinned.

"I _am _hot." She touched the soft curve of her jaw and looked at herself more closely. Her raven hair grew past her shoulders, almost to her waist. Her eyes were framed with mascara and eyeliner, making her almond shaped eyes look brighter and wider. She was wearing a bright blue off shoulder shirt and a jean skirt with silver high heels. Then her gaze averted, looking down at her chest. "I have boobs!" she gasped. "Really! Look at them! They're huge!"

Ben rolled his eyes, smiling, and drove towards the resturant. This was going to be a _long _night...

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Godddddd why didn't you tell me that had actual _bourbon _in the chocolate mousse?" Julie mumbled under her breath, the words slurring together. Her mouth felt like it was going faster than the thoughts in her head.

"I did. Repeatedly." He sighed with relief as he rested her on her bed and stripped the ID mask off her face. Her clothes and body returned to normal and her eyes drooped. "But you ate it anyway. Actually, you ate four of them. By the way, what were you talking about before?"

"What?"

"The furry wall?"

"Oh." She giggled. "Stroke the furry wall...stroke the furry wall..." She saw the concern on his face, then frowned. "Get Him to the Greek?"

"Oh, right. Maybe I shouldn't have made you watch that too." He shrugged. "But whatever. You had fun, didn't you?"

"Mmhm. Lots and lots. You know, we should do this again. Sneaking out again."

"Have I possibly converted you into a bad girl?"

"Good possibility of it, yes."

Ben laughed and lightly kissed her on the forehead. "Geez...well good night."

"Night..."

Before he could take off, the door swung open. Julie's mother stood there, holding the broom up with a menancing fire in her eyes. Ben and Julie exchanged glances, realizing the awkward position they were in, with Ben still wearing his ID mask (made him look like a thirty year old business man with a bit of gray in his brown hair) and the fact he was towering over Julie who was in a T-shirt and gym shorts for pajamas.

"Um...I'm totally not a rapist. Just saying."

* * *

A/N: lol whut? Review! :D


	95. New Years

Disclaimer: If I happened to own anything from MoA, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction during class and being a total nerrrrd...

A/N: Ah, no reviews on the last one. Seriously, was it that bad? (sigh) OK, welllll considering this is the last one before Writer's Choice, I NEED YOU TO REVIEW. GIMME SUGGESTIONS. THERE ARE FIVE MORE LEFT! (pause) OK, now that's already settled...Onward! :D

Big Damn Table

95. New Years

"Ahh, why must you do this to me?"

Kevin looked away from the TV to look at Gwen. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders and his other hand held a glass of Captain Morgan and Coke. He laughed at the longing look in her eyes as she stared at the cool glass. "You're the one who's pregnant."

"_You _made me pregnant."

"_You _wanted to get pregnant."

"Your biology still got me pregnant."

"Whatever," he shrugged. "Do you want some sparkling apple cider? It looks like champagne, so your craving for alcohol can subside."

"How'd you know that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She let him slip away so he could get the drink for her. "Have you been reading my motherhood magazines lately?"

"There's a possibility of that."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Why?"

"Because I need to know ways of spoiling you. You're handling two kids, and that can't be fun to handle."

"Aww, you do care about my well being."

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed. "Do you want your cide-I mean _champagne_-or not?"

"You better give me that."

"Or what? You're going to maim me?" A sharp slap. "OW! Did you just mentally slap me?"

Gwen gave him a cheeky grin. "Maybe." They faced off in a a staring contest, Kevin pouting and Gwen grinning in truimph. Then Kevin sighed, turning away to pour her glass. "Ah, Gwen- 2, Kevin- 0. I win yet again!"

Gwen and Kevin were having a casual **New Years **night. Since Gwen was pregnant and the stress of party details was too much for her, they decided to just stay at their home, have dinner and watch the New Years event on TV. The ball was to drop in an hour or so, and Ke$ha was talking about her charity progess with a graying Ryan Seacrest. "You know, I used to have a crush on him when I was 12. You know, before Simon left American Idol and Steven Tyler came in."

"Seriously?" Kevin rolled his eyes. He handed her the glass, which she greedily took. "He's still really short. Like...4' 2''?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "He's 5' 4''."

"He still looks like an elf."

Gwen smiled, nudging him on the arm. "Shut up." She watched a little bit more when Kim Kardasian walked over to Seacrest to give him a hug. "It's not fair. She's almost an old woman and she still has boobs. And a butt. How is that?"

Kevin rose an eyebrow. "Do you really want me to respond to that?"

"If you want to still breathe, I suggest you don't."

"Fair enough." Kevin rested his arm on her shoulders and his eyes trailed down to her stomach. He put down his Coke and rested his cool hand against her shirt to slip under it. Gwen jumped at the contact but relaxed at the comforting touch of his hand rubbing her stomach. "I can't believe it's been 5 months already. Little guys are growing up so fast..."

"It's a girl and a boy," she corrected him. She watched him absorb the information.

"Huh. A boy and a girl...what do you want to name them?" He smirked. "Do we still want to keep the rhyme time theme? Or do we want to spare their lives and name them like normal children?"

Gwen thought about it. "Maybe...um...I don't know. Well...what rhymes with Gwen and Kevin?"

"Jen and Delvin?"

"Delvin...I like Delvin. But not Jen." She made a face. "Jen reminds me of Jennifer."

"Ah. Jennifer Nocturne?" He shook his head. "It's been 10 years and you still remember that."

"Not forgetting what was really annoying me."

"What?"

"I don't know! Ugh...how about Lynn?"

"Lynn is more of a middle name."

"True..." Then she grinned. "Jaylyn."

"Jaylyn and Delvin?"

"Worth the effort." Gwen snuggled into his shoulder and watched as he still rubbed her stomach. Then she felt someone stir in her stomach and Kevin jumped, yanking his hand away. "Hey, someone loves you!" she laughed, seeing the paled look on his face. "You alright?"

"Um...was that Jaylyn or Delvin?"

* * *

A/N: Almost done NOW REVIEW AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS. IT'S YOUR TIME!


	96. Sorry

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from MoA.

A/N: To everyone reading, I'm sorry for this moment. I am doing Sky's suggestion and again, thank you everyone for the wonderful feedback. You have no idea how much this supports me. Right now though, I need to vent. I need to breathe. Writing has always been my fresh air and my escape whenever I'm in a tough spot. Just last week, a close friend of mine committeed suicide. There was no warning. Remember those programs back in middle school about the "symptoms" of suicide? Brandon didn't provide any of them. The last time I saw him, he hugged me, said good bye, and left before I could too. The next day, I learned the news.

To everyone reading, understand this: Suicide is the most selfish thing you could do. It might be relentless anger and hatred talking, but he didn't speak to us. To anyone. No note. No goodbyes. His parents found him dead. You read about suicide, watch it in movies, and hear it in the news. You feel sad, but in real life...it's so, so much worse. Guys, if you ever think you're alone, and no one cares about you, look at your family, your friends. Think about the one you care about the most in your life. What happens if you let yourself go? How would you think that person would feel?

Sorry, I really had to let that out. It's been a week since Brandon's death, and the pain of it is still fresh. I'm sorry if I disturbed anyone in any way, but the others who have considered it, please, please, please, don't do it. Never do it. It's the scariest, most selfish thing that anyone could commit.

Big Damn Table

96. Sorry

"So why are we here again?"

Julie kept her eyes closed, but Kevin could sense the agitation in her voice as she responded. "Because I think his family deserves this."

"But they...aren't here."

She sighed heavily. "Gwen told me this can ease the family's pain. And mine. It balances the peace in my mind, eases my focus...helps me a lot in my life." She paused, as if waiting for Kevin to respond, but when he didn't, she nodded to herself and lifted the lit candle in her hand. The candle was laced with a glowing magenta aura, the mana Gwen placed on it to make sure the spell would work with her not being there to help. Julie opened her eyes and dug into her jeans pocket, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Kevin fidgeted behind her, looking around in uncomfortable silence.

The last time Kevin had been in a graveyard was almost a year ago, when he was trying to figure out the Validus case with Ben and Gwen. It was unsettling, discovering that Victor Validus' death was so sudden. It was creepy. Kevin's father never had a funeral, and was instead cremated and put into a Plumber memorial on another planet a galaxy away, so Kevin never experienced a funeral that was dedicated to someone close to him. So this was the most uncomfortable place he ever been to.

One of Julie's classmates, Henry, had committed suicide almost a month ago. It was painful, especially since Julie had considered suicide back in her freshman year. She wasn't scared at first, but after seeing how it could possibly affect her family, she detested the fact she almost did. Now, seeing that someone close to her had, it drained the energy out of her. Sapped her dry, seeing that this could have been her. There was so many people that loved Henry and cared for him, and he left without a trace. It was such an unusual occurrence.

"This is a spell," Julie explained, holding up the note to him. Kevin snapped out of his thoughts, looking at her. The anger had melted away, her face a bit more warm and gentle. There was a softness in her eyes that made him relax a little. "Could you...possibly join me?"

He looked over her shoulder. "What's it say?"

"She wrote it in a way that I can pronounce it correctly. This isn't the actual written word."

"Well, that was smart of her."

"What do you expect? She is your girlfriend after all."

There was something that chilled him a bit when the "g" word was mentioned. He must of frozen, because Julie's eyes widened. "Oh...I'm **sorry**. Did I-"

"No, no, it's fine. We just had an argument, that's all." He sat next to her, crossing his legs like Julie's. "So let me see the paper." Julie adjusted herself and handed it to him silently. Kevin sounded it out, then smiled. "Alright. This is good. You got it?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Count of three." They spoke the spell fluidly, their voices hushed with the sound of the breeze weaving through the tree branches. Their hair ruffled and goosebumps rose on their flesh as the sky grayed and clouds gathered. They ignored the upcoming storm and kept the spell going. They didn't want to break it, and have it backfire on Henry's family and themselves. Kevin never felt this...connected before. Usually it was Gwen doing all the magic stuff, but with her not there, with Kevin and Julie doing this spell, he felt...powerful. Different. Not as powerful when he had absorbed energy, but a little, more...fluffy feeling. It was amazing. And when he looked over, seeing the concentrated, yet gentle expression on her face, he knew she felt it too.

Then they finished the spell, the candle lit flickering. He felt weird, disconnected suddenly with the magical words finished. Kevin looked at Julie, raising an eyebrow. "How are you feeling? Different?"

"Lighter. Definantly lighter. Hopefully his parents and sister feel the same." Her gaze lifted to the sky. "It's getting dark, and it looks like it's going to start pouring."

"Does the candle need to be lit?"

"It does, but in case if it can't be done, I can snuff out the candle." She did just that and put it next to Henry's headstone, where a wilting bouquet of daisies laid. "C'mon. Let's go." She got back up and pocketed the piece of paper. Kevin followed her back to the car, trying to catch up with her as it began to sprinkle. "Thank you for doing this Kevin. I really appreciate this."

"No problem."

"You're busy with work," Julie pressed on. Kevin realized that she was trying to apologize, for whatever reason. "And I'm sorry for cutting into your schedule. I know you're trying to get your GED still, and making ceremonial events doesn't help any. I won't try and bother you again."

"It wasn't a big deal Julie. You really wanted to do this, and I'm really glad that I could help. If you want to do something like this again, I can..." He trailed off, feeling stupid. He sounded like as if they were finishing off a first date and he was hoping for seconds. This wasn't a date. It was a casting, a spell that helped the family get over the grieving process. His cheeks heated. Not like he could date her anyway. Gwen and he were already having a rough time with trying to figure out their pathways, with her going to college and him going straight into the Plumber business. Plus Ben and Julie were having a bit of a rough patch as well, him with his fame, her with being in the shadows.

"Kevin?"

He looked at her, seeing the sad smile on her face. "Sorry. Didn't mean to-"

"We've been saying that a lot, haven't we? Sorry..." Her gaze lifted to the sky, and she sighed. "Henry. I guess this is your way of telling us sorry too. You're crying...trying to apologize. I guess it's just a natural human instinct, dead or alive."

Kevin smiled. "Well, half human anyway."

Her gaze softened a little and she gripped onto his jacket sleeve, shielding herself from the rain as they exited the cemetery and headed towards the car.

* * *

A/N: Sorry Sky, if this wasn't what you wanted ^^; You deserve the best, and I thank you for every comment and review on my stories! I really hope that you guys understand this, and I hope you review :) Up next is echogirl's big chill babies

Brandon Tilley RIP~


	97. Father

Disclaimer: If only, if only...

A/N: Ahhh, alright. I feel so much better :) Thank you, everyone for your support and reviews. I appreciate it a lot. I'm still upset, but I'm definantly a whole lot better. Even though there's some service during 6th period for grief counseling, even though we should be studying for the Geometry performance assessment. (groan) This is gonna suck...

Big Damn Table

97. Father

"Hey Benji."

Ben's eyes didn't move from the TV screen. Sumo Slammers was on, a back story of the ex-nemesis of Ishioyama laying out. It was important enough for Ben to ignore Kevin's annoying pet name for him. "Hey."

Kevin pouted and sighed heavily, a mocking tone of despair. "Where's the comeback? The jabs? It's not as fun when you don't fight back." He made himself comfortable on Ben's bed, while Ben sat at his desk. "Aren't you going to ask how I got in?"

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voce as Ben bit back, eyes still on the TV screen. "You rang the doorbell, greeted my parents polietely, asked how they were, and they offered you a cup of tea, which you _also _polietely accepted. After your tea, you asked if you can see me, which they _oh so _agreed to because you're such a great influence on me."

Kevin smirked. "At a boy." He took the family sized bag of chips from the desk, and shoved a handful of chips in his mouth. Ben let him have it, his focus entirely on his show. "So do you keep contact with your kids? ...Mommy."

Ben's eyes averted from the show, a bit shocked at the sudden, random question. "Um...what?" He took his remote and paused the show, a little thankful about having a DVR. "It's been a year! You know, you're lucky I have a DVR. Otherwise I would have gone totally Ultimate Humongasaur on you."

"I don't think State Farm covers that." Kevin relaxed into his pillow, a serious expression on his face that made Ben realize this wasn't a laughing matter. "Still doesn't answer my question."

"I haven't seen them ever since they left Kevin. They leave to live in space, remember?"

"But...still. You have to know where they are, right? They're _your _kids. You don't feel anything towards them? Like a **father **should?"

Ben stared at him. "Why are you so focused on this?"

"I'm just...I've thought about it before, everyonce in awhile but...now that Father's Day is next week, it just..." Kevin looked at the bag, blankly staring at the bright print. "I guess I'm just...jealous. I've wanted to be a father."

"Wh...what?"

Kevin squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I...I miss my father. I didn't grow with my father like you did. I didn't have that fatherly guidance. The only father figure I have is Max. I've wanted to be the father that my kid would be proud of. I want to take my child under my wing, show him or her the best things in life." He sighed, a blush dusting his cheeks. "It may sound really sappy coming from me, but...it's what I really want."

Ben stared at him, a bit shell shocked. This was his ex-nemesis, the one that tried to kill him when he was ten years old. The ruffian. The ex-con. The bad boy. The one who seemed to care about his car like a passionate lover. The one that didn't take crap from anyone.

Underneath it all, he was a big softie.

Ben smiled. "Hey, who knows. Maybe you'll be a dad, and I'll see my kids again."

"You really think that?"

"Sure. Now, do you want to watch Sumo Slammers with me? The coolest thing's going down. so apparently, Ishioyama's going to-"

Kevin grinned, shaking his head. It was funny how he received reassurance from the most easily distracted person in his life. But somehow, it seemed just perfect.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

(20 Years Later)

"Ceecee, are you sure that's such a good idea?"

The tiniest of the group of five Necrofriggean offspring fluttered her satin blue wings like a hummingbird. "Why? Is this bad?"

The oldest of the bunch sighed. "You'll become tired and lose your energy. Your wings may also lose its luster." She stopped Ceecee's movements, rolling her eyes at the pout she was given. "C'mon Ceecee. We want to fly back home, don't we?"

"Why do we even bother?" the second youngest groaned in exasperation. "It's not like our parent is going to remember us. He cast us aside."

Ceecee gasped. "You don't know that Rez! He may miss us! It's been years since we last saw him, hasn't it?"

"It has dear sister," the second oldest rasped, a sympathetic pat on her shoulder. "But Rez is right. He may not even remember us."

"Well, he's Ben Tennyson right?" the middle one reminded them. "I keep hearing about it as we've floated in space with the others. Apparently he has a rather big schedule."

"Rez, Gye. Let's not worry Ceecee. We may see him. But we are also exploring Earth. We've already seen hundreds of planets, except for our parent's. I've heard the most amazing things about Earth. It's multicultural, with different religions and species. It has forests, rivers, mountains, deserts...all sorts of climates and different seasons, such as a ice cold winter and a beautiful spring." The oldest sighed contently. "It sounds absolutely heavenly."

Rez rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go." He flew a bit faster than them, trying to get ahead.

Gye looked at Ceecee, then grasped her hand. Ceecee smiled softly and squeezed back. "I'm sorry for being a bit of a downer. I should have been more on your side. I bet he misses us too."

"You think so?"

"I do...I really do."

* * *

A/N: Ahh, not exactly the cutesy type echoecho-girl was probably expecting, but I still hope you like it :D Almost done guys! 3 more to go! review :3


	98. Picture

Disclaimer: WHY THE HELL DO I BOTHER WITH THIS LITTLE TIBIT? NYAAA- (slap) OK, I'm fine. Jeesh.

A/N: I. Need. Outlet. High school drama SUCKS. I DO NOT NEED THIS BULL. IT'S ALMOST THE END OF THE FREAKING YEAR. YEESH. (sigh) OK, now that's out...Hi everybody :3 I've been doing rough drafts for the second chapter of Imperfection while I do the final chapters of BDT (ohmigod it's almost over!) while Ben 10 is on Hiatus for the meantime. We're not getting new episodes for a few months guys. Sorry 'bout that.

Anywho, final exams and HSAs are around the corner, and I got a 4/10 on an Osmosis review for Biology. (pause) There's something cruelly ironic with that...

Big Damn Table

98. Picture

Gwen grumbled in frustration, throwing a few good expletives for a good measure, while she filed through old papers in her desk, annoyed by the items that had been collecting over the past couple of months. It was the beginning of her senior year, and all there was in her desk were old college letters and brochures from her sophomore and junior year that she had placed in there after looking at them. She had just been looking for another pencil when she came across the huge stack in the bottom left drawer.

"I should have never given my email address to my guidance counseleur," she muttered, a bit annoyed at herself. "_Oh, all you have to do is sign your name and you can put down your email address. It' s for college recommendations, and so they can keep in contact with you._" She dropped the fake accent, frowning. "Didn't know they'd be killing trees to talk to me." She dumped the papers in her wastebin, mentally checking herself to remember to toss them in the recycling bin later on. Then her eyes caught something hidden in the back of the drawer. She picked up the small box, turning it in her hands. Then she remembered something.

It carried the locket Kevin had given her a long time ago.

Her breath whoosed out when she opened the velvet lined case. Kevin had given the case a week after handing it to her, so she could keep it in a safe place. She remembered never wearing it, but keeping it around while she had tried to find a cure from him, like a lucky charm.

She held it up carefully by its delicate gold chain, the locket softly swinging back and forth, almost gleaming from the sunlight escaping through the curtains. She opened the clasp, their faces inside, smiling back at her as if greeting her. She felt this warmth against the glass that held the **picture **in, smiling. She remembered that day at the Pier, their first offical date, their first kiss on top of the Ferris wheel...Actually, it made her laugh, amused by the fact that Kevin didn't even realize how romantic that really was. She sighed, closing the clasp and putting the necklace around her neck. The locket rested against her collarbone, cool against her skin. She smiled, feeling the steady beat of the connection of mana through the locket.

It was amazing how Kevin managed to fit into her life so perfectly. It was hard to say it without being cheesy but...

She sighed, almost breathlessly as the back of her head rested on her bed. She closed her eyes, images filling her mind of flashbacks.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

With a heavy sigh, Ben sat in the back seat, hair ruffled and face bright red. Gwen and Kevin followed not too far behind, Kevin kicking the engine in gear. He raced away from the desert, speeding down the road. Gwen pulled a cowlick centered in front of her face to the side, gasping for air. "Holy...crap," she breathed. "I'm so glad I remembered that spell book." She dumped the book onto the floor, running a hand through her hair.

"That thing could _run_," Ben exclaimed. "Even XLR8 couldn't even catch up with it? Do you even know what that is Gwen?"

"Never seen it before. May need to look it up on the Alien Database later. And when I say later, I mean after I take a nice, long hot shower and sleep for a good eight hours." She paused. "Now that I think about it, i haven't slept for eight hours for about a month now." She gritted her teeth. "Damn criminals."

Kevin smiled. "Aww, don't discriminate a whole group by one person."

"That's not-" Ben cut off, realizing. "Oh. That was a joke..."

"Way to go genius."

Gwen leaned her head back, her panting subsiding. "Can we go to Burger Shack? I'd really like something to eat."

Kevin nodded. "Sure thing. It's going to be an hour. Maybe more."

Ben sighed. "Whatever. I'm with Gwen. I'm gonna die if I don't eat anything within four hours."

Gwen and Kevin rolled their eyes at Ben's melodramatic slump in his seat, and looked forward as they headed toward the city lights miles away. Gwen felt a bit more comfortable, and felt something cool pressing against her collarbone. She smiled, pulling the locket out of her shirt. Kevin's eyes caught the gold in her hands. "You still have that?" he asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah. I found it in my drawer last week." She opened the locket, showing him. "See? The picture is still inside of it."

Ben looked over her shoulder. "Whatsthat? A present from Kevin." He made mocking goo-goo eyes at Kevin. "Awwww...you big softie."

Kevin's face flushed, and he gave him the death glare. "Shut it Tennyson. Before I shut it for you."

"Whatcha gonna do?"

Gwen ignored the argument and grinned at Kevin. "Do you still have the other pictures?"

Kevin sat back in his seat, averting his gaze from Ben. "What other pictures?"

"The pictures from the photo booth from that day at the Pier. This was one of the pictures, right?"

"Oh...yeah..." One hand on the wheel, he dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "They should be in here." Gwen took it and opened it up. She filed through the car ID, Plumber ID, and twenty dollar bills and found a slot for pictures. She pulled out an inch thick stack, some tiny like the picture in the locket, others normal sized like you put in a photo album. The first picture had Ben, Julie, Gwen and Kevin's faces smushed close together, the four of them grinning and making silly faces, with the flash on. Gwen laughed. "Oh God, when was this?"

"Don't remember," Ben smiled. "Gwen, you look amazing when you're crossed eyed."

"Thanks." She filed through them some more, seeing the silliest pictures that the four had taken over the past year. "You know...there was something I read before. There was this quote that...kind of fits. Something like..._The soul never thinks without a picture_."

Kevin rose an eyebrow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I guess it means that having a picture of a memory...your soul is complete because those precious memories come back." The guys were silent and she sighed heavily. "And the moment's lost..."

"Nah. It's just I never really thought of it like that," Ben frowned, scratching his head.

"Good thing I thought of it then," Kevin smiled. "It's why I gave you the locket. To remember me as I was." He shrugged. "Not that it matters anymore. I'm back to normal and nothing else matters."

"But it's still nice. It's nice to remember that you wanted me to have a memory of you."

The two shared a nice glance, while Ben feverently fake-gagged himself and slumped in his seat.

* * *

A/N: Ughhhhh, bad ending. Couldn't find it though :/ Review and tell me a suggestion! Only two more to go! Maybe I might do a Bevin...


	99. Bless

Disclaimer: Ah, to hell with it. I don't own Ben 10 'cause MoA does (crawls away).

A/N: OHMIGOD IT'S SO GOOD TO BE BACK! (sigh) Damn final exams, HSAs for Hon Bio and Hon English 10, and Ms. Baker's animal project (an essay and powerpoint of an animal I choose, which is an aye-aye :3) almost KILLED ME. I'm alive, as evidenced as you read on. And what do I do on my last weeks of my sophomore year? BY WRITING FANFICTION. HELL TO THE YEAH.

OK. I NEED to calm down. I'm just so damn jittery (bounces) Ms. Baker's letting us make ice cream and watch Easy A :) God, BEST TEACHER EVER :D OK. Getting distracted. Whatever. So anyway, enjoy my Bevin-ettes! Or...er...is there any Bevin guy shippers reading my stuff or what...?

Big Damn Table

99. Bless

Ben was mad at me, for God knows what reason. Well, I know now, but at that moment, it was seriously pissing me off. God, Gwen and Julie were irritating enough, with the whole PMS, hormone racing, acne inducing, bleeding out the whatsit thing.

Ben was muttering to Gwen about something while I was drying off my car after cleaning my car for the umpteenth time. My back was turned toward them and I relied on my crappy hearing to code what they were saying while I slowly dried the hood of my car. All I could understand was the fierceness in their voices in their voices and hushed arguments. I could've sworn that I heard my name once, but I could've just been my paranoia playing mind games with me.

Gwen said something about getting another smoothie and went inside Mr. Smoothy's. It was completely silent except for the sounds of cars and business in the city.

Fine. So that's how it was going to be? We'd have to see about that...

"So, you mind passin' that wax in the tool box? The one with the red tape, not the blue." I kept my back to him, and I smiled at myself. It was a super casual thing to say, nothing too pressuring for him to talk to me. There was no evidence of me being totally pissed at him for him being mad at me for no reason.

I turned to see him wordlessly grab the wax and hand it to me. His face was totally void of emotion, yet he seemed totally relaxed. _Huh. He's pretty good at that. Dammit. _"Thanks." He just turned away, sat back down on the bench and looked at the car magazines stacked next to the tool box. He picked one up, flipped through it and stopped at a page to read. Total. Freaking. Silence. I sighed.

"You interested in cars?"

No sign of response. Didn't nod or shake his head. Didn't even shrug. Just went right on with reading silently. I glared at him. What did I even do to him? OK, I mean there were events in our pasts that could make anyone easily distrust me. He would yell at me if I pissed him off, or make a comeback if I teased him or joked with him.

But he's never given me the cold shoulder. Ever. I don't know what's worse. Him trying to kill me or him trying to give me the cold shoulder.

I relaxed, trying again. I even tried for a smile. "I can talk shop. Maybe I can take it down a notch, talk about the basics. I mean, I practically built your car by hand. If I breaks, you can fix it yourself, that way you don't have to spend money to figure out what's up."

Still nothing.

"Ok...maybe not." I placed the wax on the hood, relaxing against it and crossing my arms. _This'll take all damn day if I need to get a freaking WORD out you. Come on man. Yell at me, tell me to leave you the hell alone. I just need to hear one word from you. _My eyes caught Gwen looking at me through the window, and I gaped at her when I realized she was smiling at me. _The fu-_ "'Scuse me for a moment." I said it so casually too, sounding like I was cutting into a normal conversation. That we weren't having.

Dammit.

I practically ran in there and pulled Gwen away from the window. "The hell is going on, Gwen?" I hissed. A couple of kids watched with interest, while the parents looked at me with annoyance and disgust. I toned it down a bit, but almost shouted at Gwen when she smirked at me. That used to be hot, the way she would smirk at me, all coy and sexy, until it got overused. "Don't look at me like that."

She shrugged, almost like she was bored, and took a sip of her smoothie. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't try that on me." I paused. "I bet whatever the hell is going on, you would probably tell Cooper about it." Her new boyfriend after our breakup. Not that I cared or anything. The two were meant for each other. They were totally in nerd for each other.

"So what if I would?" She stirred the straw around, watching the blueberry chunks float around. "Anyway, what's it to you?"

"Ben's never acted like this before! Ever! Is he pissed at me?"

"Why would he be?"

"I don't know! I don't remember doing anything bad!"

"Have you bothered to ask him!"

"I was working on that." _Dammit. Didn't even think of that one. Way to go Levin. _"Then I saw you laughing at me then I came in here." My head was throbbing, and I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "So did I do something or what?"

"Don't know. But you should hurry." She cocked her head towards the window. "He's getting noticed." I turned in her direction, seeing Ben talking to a couple ditzy looking girls.

"Aw geez." I walked outside. "Hey, Ben. You want another smoothie?" The girls looked at me with obvious interest, but Ben kept his gaze on the girls like I wasn't even there.

"Are you Kevin? one of the girl asked. The other one eagerly nodded, eyeing me up and down like I was a flashy Corvette.

"Yeah, I am. Hey, Ben and I have to talk. Alone." They didn't move. "In private." Then they walked away, still eyeing us as they walked into the resturant and whispering to each other. I looked at Ben, who was looking down at his empty smoothie cup and turning it in his hands.

"So are we going to talk or what?" I asked quietly. "Because I'm tired of you ignoring me for no apparent reason. What did I even do?"

He turned his head away from me, his jaw taut.

"Shit! Dammit, talk to me!"

Still nothing. I was about to rip my hair out until I sneezed. It scratched at my throat and I groaned at the feeling of my burning nose.

"**Bless **you."

I froze and looked at him. He gaped at me, almost in shock, then his face turned beet red. He looked down, muttering something and Gwen swung out, laughing hysterically. "Oh, I so won!" she squealed. "You lost the bet 'cuz! You can't stop talking to him for one day!" She crossed her arms, shaking her head. "You should be disappointed in yourself."

I looked at the two back and forth, confused as hell. Gwen caught it and grinned. "We made a bet that Ben can't talk to you for a week. Didn't work out apparently!" She squeezed his cheek like a creepy old aunt with her 10 year old nephew, and made little cooing noises, making him even more red.

I sat there, a bit confused, irritated and relieved. Confused at the fact that Ben made this bet, irritated that the whole reason behind him not talking to me was because of some bet, and relieved that this was the only reason why he wasn't talking to me. It was kind of an ego-boost, knowing he couldn't keep himself away from me.

Well...even though it was one sneeze. But still.

I shook his shoulder, smiling. "Hey, don't be ashamed. I couldn't stop talking to me either, I'm just that loveable."

Ben shook me away, rolling his eyes. But he had that grin on his face that let me know that there was a good possibilty that he was never going to do something like that ever again.

* * *

A/N: Ahhh, not exactly Bevin, but this is like...Pre-Beforetheboysgettogether kinda thing. Sorry it's not perfect ^^; But I haven't done a Bevin in so long that I decided, "Hell, why not?" Next one is THE LAST.

RIP Brandon, Trevase and Kayla. And I hope that Scottie recovers :( It's been a rough month at our school, I swear...


	100. Someday

Disclaimer: SCREW YOU ALL DISCLAIMER WATCHERS. I'M ALMOST DONE WITH THIS BULL.

A/N: Ahh last one. So. I couldn't seem to figure out to do with this one. I mean...it's the last one, and I want to leave this is in a good way :)

Big Damn Table

100. Someday

The four stood next to the smooth, onyx statue, the two children holding flowers in their tiny innocent hands. The statue looked down at them, the face filled with warm, despite being inanimate. The boy placed his flowers gently next to the headstone, the girl following suit. The man and the woman looked on, and the man sighed heavily, drawing the woman's attention away.

"What's the matter?"

The man scratched his neck absently, the stubble rough against his skin. "It's just the man is a hero. He's saved us. Saved us all, and yet here rests a lifeless statue to represent him." His laugh held no amusement.

The woman frowned. "Well, what else could we do? His body has been cremated and is in the main Plumber headquarters in the Hall of Heroes. It's not like we could do anything else."

"He just deserves something..._more_."

The woman shook her head, feeling a little helpless, and the girl looked up at them sadly, tears in her eyes. "Will we really all die, just like him?" The boy looked up as well, hearing the question and interested to know as well. The man and the woman exchanged uncertain glances, then the woman nodded.

"Yes. We will all pass away someday. Grandpa, Grandmama passed on a few years ago remember?"

"But why?" the girl asked furiously. "Why do we have to die? Why did _he _have to die?"

"He died naturally. Of old age, just like Grandpa and Grandmama."

"But...still."

The woman looked at the man. The man frowned deeply, unsure of what to do. The woman thought for a moment, then smiled, turning back to the boy and the girl. "Yes. We will all pass on **someday**. We all die at a certain time, even the plants. They pass on, but despite the sadness of their departures, there are more plants that live on. We raise them to live longer, to become stronger. We give them a chance to live, to experience life at their fullest. You see, he died, but his legacy still lives on. His great-grandson is the new hero. He's stronger, more powerful, and he sees that life is special, and he lives it at his fullest. It gives us meaning too, seeing that we need to appreciate life."

The boy and the girl nodded slowly, a smile breaking out on their faces. Then they stared at the statue proudly, holding hands. The man looked at the woman, a tired smile on his face. "Well that was very nice of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Cushioning the blow," he whispered. The woman gave him a look, and he rose an eyebrow. "Ah. You were serious."

"It's true though."

The man was silent, then sighed. "I just don't know about letting that kid have the Ultimatrix."

"Why do you think that?"

"He's inexperienced."

"So was Ben when he was younger. Then he learned to use it as he battled and he turned into the biggest hero in the universe."

The man shook his head stubbornly. "No. It's just not right to me. He'll screw up-"

"He'll learn from his mistakes, become a stronger young man, just like his great-grandfather." The woman smiled slightly, watching the man's expression change slightly. "You'll see. He can do it. He's the great-grandson of Ben Tennyson. He can do this."

"If you say so..."

The woman lightly squeezed his hand, and turned to the kids. "How about some ice cream guys?" The children eagerly accepted and followed the man and the woman as they made their way to the car. A lean figure looked over his shoulder, his back leaned against the rough bark of the tree. He smiled, and his emerald gaze settled on the Ultimatrix clamped on his arm.

"I can. And I will."

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A/N: Ahh well there you have it guys! 100 Themes! Thank you everyone for reviewing and reading this :D I couldn't have done it without you guys :3 Pay attention to Imperfection and the new fanfic Surrogate, coming up this summer! :D

Love,

Brandy Lynn Robicheaux :)


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